The Big 10 (err… Big 12?) definitely has a new look to it this season with the addition of the Cornhuskers into the fold. But will they be able to make the big time impact that everyone is looking for in this conference? One, and potentially two bids will be on the line on October 1st when Big Red tries to make its first Big 10 statement in Camp Randall against the Badgers.

Nebraska Cornhuskers @ Wisconsin Badgers Picks & Info
Nebraska Cornhuskers @ Wisconsin Badgers Date: Saturday, October 1st
Nebraska Cornhuskers @ Wisconsin Badgers Location: Camp Randall Stadium, Madison, WI
Nebraska Cornhuskers @ Wisconsin Badgers Spread: Wisconsin Badgers -2.5

Nebraska thinks that it can be a National Championship contender this year, but it is clear that this is the biggest test on the slate. Remember that this could be the first of two meetings against Wisky on the season, as there is a very possible date for these two in the first Big 10 Championship Game as well. QB Taylor Martinez did great against the Washington Huskies in the first go around of those two teams last season, but when push came to shove, U-Dub got the best of him and the Huskers in the Holiday Bowl. Cause for concern? Head Coach Bo Pelini is going to hope that a defense that ranked No. 10 in the nation last year at 308.2 yards per game can keep things going in spite of the fact that over the last two seasons, the team has lost some absolute studs on this side of the ball in DT Ndamukong Suh and DB Prince Amukamara.

Nebraska Cornhuskers vs. Wisconsin Badgers Past Games (Since 1995)
None

The Badgers are going to look a whole heck of a lot like they did last year. We know that RB John Clay is no longer in the fold, but the two men that shined last season in his absence, RB Montee Ball and RB James White are still here in Madison. Those three helped Wisconsin to the No. 11 rushing offense in the land at 247.1 yards per game, and they did so without the use of a mobile quarterback bolstering the yardage totals. This year, QB Russell Wilson at least brings a level of athleticism to the fold, but he also gives Head Coach Bret Bielema the best signal caller that he has had in his short time at Wisconsin since taking over for the famed Barry Alvarez. This is going to be the fifth straight home game to start the season, and if Wisconsin can get past this one, it should be a Top 5 team in the nation and be 6-0 going into games against Michigan State and Ohio State on the road in back to back weeks.

Nebraska Cornhuskers @ Wisconsin Badgers Game Odds @ 5Dimes Sportsbook (as of 8/23/11):
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Nebraska Cornhuskers (+2.5) @ Wisconsin Badgers

The Hogs and the Razorbacks seemingly always put on a great show, and it never seems to matter what the records are between the two. Upsets happen in this series all the time, but this year, the winner of this one might be well on their way to the SEC Championship Game, while the loser is likely going to end up in a situation where it has no chance to get into the BCS.

Arkansas Razorbacks @ LSU Tigers Picks & Info
Arkansas Razorbacks @ LSU Tigers Date: Friday, November 25th
Arkansas Razorbacks @ LSU Tigers Location: Tiger Stadium, Baton Rouge, LA
Arkansas Razorbacks @ LSU Tigers Spread: LSU Tigers -8

The Hogs really got some bad news this week when they learned that RB Knile Davis was likely out for the season. If he doesn’t end up playing in this one, it could be a rough go for the Razorbacks. Davis accounted for 1,322 rushing yards and 13 scores last season, and he averaged 6.5 yards per carry. WE just don’t have the confidence that QB Tyler Wilson is going to be able to get the job done. If Ryan Mallett were still here in Fayetteville, we’d feel a lot different. The Arkansas defense under Head Coach Bobby Petrino definitely has a lot of work to do, though this should be a much easier challenge than most others will be in the SEC.

Arkansas Razorbacks vs. LSU Tigers Past Games (Since 1995)
2010: Arkansas 31 – LSU 23
2009: LSU 33 – Arkansas 30
2008: Arkansas 31 – LSU 30
2007: Arkansas 50 – LSU 48
2006: LSU 31 – Arkansas 26
2005: LSU 19 – Arkansas 17
2004: LSU 43 – Arkansas 14
2003: LSU 55 – Arkansas 24
2002: Arkansas 21 – LSU 20
2001: LSU 41 – Arkansas 38
2000: Arkansas 14 – LSU 3
1999: LSU 35 – Arkansas 10
1998: Arkansas 41 – LSU 14
1997: LSU 31 – Arkansas 21
1996: LSU 17 – Arkansas 7
1995: LSU 28 – Arkansas 0

The Bayou Bengals have just a heard of potential tripping points this year on the schedule, but this is the last building block towards an SEC title. The Hogs have done their share of keeping LSU out of the SEC Championship Game and the National Championship Game in recent years, and Head Coach Les Miles and company hope to avoid a similar fate this season. The trouble is going to come with an offense that was only able to put up 23 points last year against a rather questionable Arkansas defense. QB Jordan Jefferson has yet another year under his belt, but he just hasn’t shown signs of improvement. If the ‘O’ doesn’t get more production than it did last year in Fayetteville, don’t think for one second that the Bayou Bengals are getting out of this one so easily.

Arkansas Razorbacks @ LSU Tigers Game Odds @ 5Dimes Sportsbook (as of 8/15/11):
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Arkansas Razorbacks (+8) @ LSU Tigers

It’s going to be a mighty interesting season this year in the Pac-12, knowing that there are two legitimate National Championship contenders, an up and coming newcomer, a dark horse club, and the USC Trojans, who are ineligible for the conference title. We’ll start at the top with the Oregon Ducks (Current Pac 12 Odds: 2.30 to 1 at 5Dimes Sportsbook). The Quack Attack came up just shy of the National Championship last season, losing out at the death to the Auburn Tigers. Now, QB Darron Thomas, RB LaMichael James, and a ton of others are coming back from a team that used to routinely drop 50+ points on opponents.

There’s only one problem this year. Whereas last year, the Stanford Cardinal (2011 Pac 12 Lines: 3 to 1 at 5Dimes Sportsbook) came to Autzen Stadium, this year, the U of O has to make the trip down to “The Farm.” Considering the fact that these two share the same side of the newly formed Pac-12, it is clear that the game between the two of them is going to be for a spot in the conference championship game, knowing that neither one is likely to end up getting beaten by two other teams in conference play. QB Andrew Luck is the real deal, and had he come out of school last year, he’d have $22M in the bank and would be the starting QB for the Carolina Panthers this upcoming season. In all likelihood, Luck will once again be Top 5 NFL Draft material, and he and RB Stepfan Taylor have a great chance of leading the Cardinal to the Pac-12 crown.

There are 20 returning starters and 53 returning lettermen to this year’s Arizona State Sun Devils (Current Pac 12 Odds: 5.50 to 1 at 5Dimes Sportsbook) team, which definitely makes it the up and coming team in this conference. Head Coach Dennis Erickson has promised that this is the year that ASU gets it all figured out. QB Brock Osweiler has high hopes after leading this offense to 427.1 yards per game last season. We just don’t know if this team is surviving a road test at the new kids on the block, the Utah Utes, especially knowing that the road trip to Oregon is on tap the next week. The rest of the big boys are coming to Tempe though, and Stanford is dodged, so getting to the Pac-12 Championship Game is definitely not out of the question.

2011 Odds To Win The Pac 12 @ 5Dimes Sportsbook (as of 7/31/11):
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Oregon Ducks 2.30 to 1
Stanford Cardinal 3 to 1
Arizona State Sun Devils 5.50 to 1
Utah Utes 7.75 to 1
Arizona Wildcats 8.50 to 1
UCLA Bruins 18 to 1
Oregon State Beavers 19 to 1
Washington Huskies 19 to 1
Colorado Buffaloes 23 to 1
California Golden Bears 29 to 1
Washington State Cougars 125 to 1

2011 Odds To Win The Pac 12 North Division @ 5Dimes Sportsbook (as of 7/31/11):
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Oregon Ducks 1.30 to 1
Stanford Cardinal 1.75 to 1
Oregon State Beavers 8 to 1
Washington Huskies 8 to 1
California Golden Bears 12.50 to 1
Washington State Cougars 47 to 1

2011 Odds To Win The Pac 12 South Division @ 5Dimes Sportsbook (as of 7/31/11):
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USC Trojans 1.40 to 1 (not eligible to play in Pac-10 Championship Game)
Arizona State Sun Devils 3.60 to 1
Utah Utes 4.20 to 1
Arizona Wildcats 4.85 to 1
UCLA Bruins 10.15 to 1
Colorado Buffaloes 13 to 1

This year, there is definitely a new sheriff in charge of the Mountain West in the form of the Boise State Broncos (Current Mountain West Odds: 1 to 2.80 at 5Dimes Sportsbook). Simply put, the Broncos have the best team in this conference, and the only game that really should have any chance of tripping them up is the home date with TCU late in the season. Of course, Boise State’s eyes aren’t on winning the MWC. They’re on winning the National Championship. Many forget that the Broncos did not win their last season in the WAC last year; Nevada did. That being said, there is definitely some unfinished business for QB Kellen Moore and company, and though the team might take a bit of a step back in terms of talent from a year ago when it was a one-loss team, there’s no doubt that Head Coach Chris Peterson and company have themselves a legitimate shot at an undefeated season this year.

The bad news here is that the TCU Horned Frogs (2011 Mountain West Lines: 4.50 to 1 at 5Dimes Sportsbook) probably aren’t going to be contending for anything but perhaps an MWC title in their final season in this conference before heading to the Big East. Head Coach Gary Patterson knows that this is a very, very important season for recruiting purposes for next year’s jump to the big time, but after last year’s Rose Bowl performance, the team this season has a ton of hurdles to climb. We know that TCU is going to have a tremendous defense, something that has become a staple of a Gary Patterson team. However, missing QB Andy Dalton, the winningest signal caller in TCU history, is going to be a bit of a problem.

About the only other team that we could see making any noise out of this conference is the San Diego State Aztecs (Current Mountain West Odds: 12.25 to 1 at 5Dimes Sportsbook). Head Coach Brady Hoke has moved on to the Michigan Wolverines, but he definitely hasn’t left the cupboard dry. QB Ryan Lindley is going to be on the short list for conference player of the year honors after throwing for 3,830 yards and 28 TDs last year, and RB Ronnie Hillman is coming off of a freshman campaign in which he rushed for 1,532 yards. Both TCU and Boise State are home games, but the Aztecs are going to be major underdogs in both outings.

2011 Odds To Win The Mountain West @ 5Dimes Sportsbook (as of 7/31/11):
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Boise State Broncos 1 to 2.80
TCU Horned Frogs 4.50 to 1
San Diego State Aztecs 12.25 to 1
Air Force Falcons 16 to 1
Colorado State Rams 26 to 1
Wyoming Cowboys 36 to 1
UNLV Runnin’ Rebels 81 to 1
New Mexico Lobos 165 to 1

Many believe that this is a season that belongs to the Florida State Seminoles in the ACC. However, if history is any indication, the Clemson Tigers are once again going to put up a big time fight to try to put a crimp in the style of the garnet and gold en route to an Atlantic Division triumph. This game might be for all of the marbles in the conference when it’s all said and done this year.

Florida State Seminoles @ Clemson Tigers Picks & Info
Florida State Seminoles @ Clemson Tigers Date: Saturday, September 24th
Florida State Seminoles @ Clemson Tigers Location: Clemson Memorial Stadium, Clemson, SC
Florida State Seminoles @ Clemson Tigers Spread: Clemson Tigers +5

The Seminoles have really had very little luck playing in Death Valley, and this year really could be no exception. The question is going to be whether or not QB EJ Manuel, the new kid on the block, is going to be able to go into a hostile environment and win a game. There will be 82,000 packed into Clemson Memorial Stadium, and this is definitely the one game on the slate that every single player, coach, and fan clad in orange and purple wants to win. This will be the first road game of the year for the Seminoles, and it comes on the heels of what could be the biggest win that the program has had in quite some time if they can knock off the Oklahoma Sooners the week before, so this is most certainly a big time trap spot.

Florida State Seminoles vs. Clemson Tigers Past Games (Since 1995)
2010: Florida State 16 – Clemson 13
2009: Clemson 40 – Florida State 24
2008: Florida State 41 – Clemson 27
2007: Clemson 24 – Florida State 18
2006: Clemson 27 – Florida State 20
2005: Clemson 35 – Florida State 14
2004: Florida State 41 – Clemson 22
2003: Clemson 26 – Florida State 10
2002: Florida State 48 – Clemson 31
2001: Florida State 41 – Clemson 27
2000: Florida State 54 – Clemson 7
1999: Florida State 17 – Clemson 14
1998: Florida State 48 – Clemson 0
1997: Florida State 35 – Clemson 28
1996: Florida State 34 – Clemson 3

Clemson has never really had a dominating side in the ACC; in fact, it has never won the conference title since the Noles have joined the league. However, this is one field and one team that it has always played well at and against respectively. The Tigers have actually won five of the last eight meetings in this series and have covered six of the last eight, and they haven’t lost a game here in Death Valley against the garnet and gold since 2001. This will be the first big test for the no huddle, up tempo offense that new Offensive Coordinator Chad Morris is going to implement this year, and it should be a real test for new starting QB Tajh Boyd. Dual threat QBs have usually had decent success against FSU, especially in the past, and Boyd will hope to add to that level of success by pulling off another upset at home against it.

Florida State Seminoles @ Clemson Tigers Game Odds @ 5Dimes Sportsbook (as of 8/5/11):
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Florida State Seminoles (-5) @ Clemson Tigers

It feels like the MAC is one of the toughest conferences in America to handicap on the NCAA football odds each and every season. This year, the favorite of the bunch is the Toledo Rockets (Current MAC Odds: 3.65 to 1 at 5Dimes Sportsbook), but we’re really not all that sure that it’s justified. THe team went 7-1 last season in conference play, but in total, it was outscored by eight points. Nine starters are back from a defense that was one of the better ones in the MAC at 365.5 yards per game. However, we have a real question as to whether QB Austin Dantin is really going to be able to get the job done or not. The only godsend is that Northern Illinois is coming to the Glass Bowl this year, and the only other potentially difficult games are at home, save for the duel at Temple on October 1st.

Speaking of the Temple Owls (2011 MAC Lines: 6.25 to 1 at 5Dimes Sportsbook)… What better way for new Head Coach Steve Adazio to take over his program than to win the MAC? Temple showed a lot of promise last year, and it was absolutely unjustly left out of a bowl game. This defense is legit, and the offense has some budding stars like RB Bernard Pierce that can do some real damage. Northern Illinois is dodged on the slate, and Toledo comes to the City of Brotherly Love, while the only tough game in the East Division is a home date with Ohio.

The team of the hour though, very well could be the Northern Illinois Huskies (Current MAC Odds: 4.25 to 1 at 5Dimes Sportsbook). Losing Head Coach Jerry Kill could be a problem, but the return of QB Chandler Harnish and eight others on offense will inevitably make anyone’s trip to DeKalb a nightmare this season. Replacing RB Chad Spann might be difficult, but this is definitely a team with some unfinished business after making it to the MAC Championship Game last season after going 8-0, only to lose in the finale to Miami. As long as the roadie to Toledo turns out to be a good one, there should be no one else getting in NIU’s way this year on the road to Ford Field for the MAC Championship Game again.

2011 Odds To Win The MAC @ 5Dimes Sportsbook (as of 7/23/11):
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Toledo Rockets 3.65 to 1
Northern Illinois Huskies 4.25 to 1
Ohio Bobcats 4.95 to 1
Temple Owls 6.25 to 1
Miami Redhawks 6.80 to 1
Western Michigan Broncos 7.50 to 1
Central Michigan Chippewas 22.50 to 1
Kent State Golden Flashes 23.50 to 1
Ball State Cardinals 36 to 1
Bowling Green Falcons 37 to 1
Buffalo Bulls 41 to 1
Eastern Michigan Eagles 42 to 1
Akron Zips 46 to 1

2011 Odds To Win The MAC East Division @ 5Dimes Sportsbook (as of 7/23/11):
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Ohio Bobcats 2 to 1
Temple Owls 2.65 to 1
Miami Redhawks 3.10 to 1
Kent State Golden Flashes 9.50 to 1
Bowling Green Falcons 15 to 1
Buffalo Bulls 16 to 1
Akron Zips 18 to 1

2011 Odds To Win The MAC West Division @ 5Dimes Sportsbook (as of 7/23/11):
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Toledo Rockets 1.75 to 1
Northern Illinois Huskies 2.10 to 1
Western Michigan Broncos 3.90 to 1
Central Michigan Chippewas 9 to 1
Ball State Cardinals 14 to 1
Eastern Michigan Eagles 16.50 to 1