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For several weeks, we have been anticipating how the BCS National Championship picture would pan out. Once and for all, we know that the Auburn Tigers will be facing off with the Oregon Ducks as the No. 1 and No. 2 teams in the country, and the winning team will collect the hardware as the National Champions in 2010-11. With still a month to go before the game kicks off, we present the three keys to the biggest game of the year that you need to pay attention to before making your BCS Championship picks. The opening National Championship line features Auburn favored by 2.5 points, while the ‘total’ has been set at 74.5.

Key #1: Auburn’s Defense Must Stop LaMichael James and the Oregon Ground Attack
Last week, when we analyzed this from the standpoint of the Civil War with the Oregon State Beavers, we wished the Beavs good luck. They needed it. The Ducks rushed for 346 yards without QB Darron Thomas even taking a single step past the line of scrimmage on the day. The Quack Attack is averaging 309.9 yards per game this year on the ground, and that is being parlayed into the most points in the nation at 49.3 per game. To make matters worse for the opponents, if you take out that close call at the Cal Golden Bears, Oregon is averaging 323.1 yards per game on the ground, 562.3 yards per game in total, and 52.5 point per game. If the Ducks end up scoring 61 points or more in this one, they would become the highest scoring team in the history of college football. The only team with more was the 2005 Texas Longhorns, who scored 652 points… in 14 games… Oregon would have pulled this feat off in just 13 games. James is clearly going to be a finalist for the Heisman Trophy this year, as he has rushed for 1,702 yards and 21 TDs on the campaign. However, we can’t forget about RB Kenjon Barner and QB Darron Thomas either. Barner has rushed for 537 yards and six scores and just reached the century mark in the Civil War, while Thomas has 496 yards and five TDs on the ground as well. Auburn’s defense has been great against the rush this year, but it has not faced a foe like this all season long. The Tigers ranked No. 9 in the land at just 104.0 yards per game allowed, but they’ll have to really buckle down to keep the Quack Attack under 250 yards in that department.

Key #2: Cameron Newton Must Play Like Vince Young
We’ve already made one comparison in this game to the 2005 Texas Longhorns, and we are about to make our second. QB Cam Newton has drawn all sorts of comparisons to QB Vince Young, whom many thought was the best player that college football had seen until QB Tim Tebow graced the grounds at the University of Florida. There really were no players like Young that could just single handedly tear apart any defense in the country and do so seemingly without ever breaking a sweat. Who could forget about that legendary National Championship Game against the USC Trojans in January 2006 in which he rushed for 200 yards and three TDs and threw for 267 yards, gliding through one of the best defenses that the collegiate ranks had ever seen. Many think that Newton, just a junior, is better than Young is at this stage of his career. After putting up numbers like this, it’s hard to disagree. Newton, in the significantly tougher SEC, has thrown for 2,589 yards and rushed for 1,409 more, and he has thrown for 28 TDs, rushed for 20 TDs, and has one more as a receiver as well. Newton is one of just two players in the history of college football to both throw and rush for at least 20 TDs in the same season, joining Florida’s Tebow. He has also only been picked off six times and has only lost one fumble. Oregon’s defense has been known to have some holes in it, and it clearly never ran up against an offense like this anywhere in the Pac-10 this year, save perhaps against the Stanford Cardinal. However, there are no signal callers like Newton in the Pac-10, and the Ducks are finally going to get a taste of their own medicine. Still, it will be up to Newton to bust open the Oregon defense time and time again to keep up with the scoring pace that the Ducks are clearly going to be going with.

Key #3: Some Star Must Shine Outside of the Two Heisman Candidates
Believe it or not, there are more than just two players in this game! LaMichael James and Cam Newton are both amazing, but they are not the only men on the field. You can bet that after a month of game planning, the defenses are going to be keyed in on the two studs. However, there are some other men to watch, and inevitably, one of these guys is going to be the difference maker that wins the title for his school. For Auburn, the men to really keep an eye on are DT Nick Fairley, RB Michael Dyer, RB Onterio McCalebb, and WR Darvin Adams. Adams caught that ridiculous Hail Mary pass at the end of the first half of the SEC Championship Game, and he broke the SEC Championship Game record with 217 yards on seven receptions with a pair of scores… and all of those stats came in the first half. Dyer rushed for 950 yards and five scores this year, while McCalebb had 763 yards and nine TDs. Fairley is going to be the top defensive player from either of these teams, and he is the difference maker in the middle of the defensive line that will be responsible for closing down the inside ground game of the Ducks. On the other side of the field, we know that freshman S John Boyett, the team’s leader in INTs, is going to have to be at his best on the game’s biggest stage. We’ve already spoken about what RB Kenjon Barner has the ability to do, but we can’t forget about WR Jeffrey Maehl either. Maehl has been up and down at times this year, but he has 943 yards and 12 scores on a team high 68 receptions. Looking for a dark horse that could be a real difference maker for Oregon? Don’t forget about WR Josh Huff. Huff has done a little bit of everything this year, as he has 13 carries for 210 yards, 19 receptions for 303 yards, and 534 kick return yards with a total of six TDs.

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The Oregon Ducks are just one game away from the BCS Championship, but standing in their way are their hated arch rivals, the Oregon State Beavers. This game is known as the Civil War for a reason, as you won’t find two teams that despise each other as much as these two do. Check out the keys to winning this game for both sides and the things that you must remember before making your NCAA football picks on this game.

Key #1: Stopping LaMichael James
Good luck, Oregon State. The Beavers rank No. 82 in the nation against the rush at 165.43 yards per game, and they have been absolutely wrecked by some of the best running teams on their schedule. Fortunately, we have a lot of great games to compare this one to, but unfortunately for the Beavs, none of them have turned out all that well. The TCU Horned Frogs rolled off 278 yards on the ground, the Boise State Broncos racked up 178, while the Stanford Cardinal had 167. Though these three teams are all phenomenal squads, none of them have LaMichael James on their roster. Simply put, this is the best and most dynamic running back in college today, and he proves it week in and week out. James already has 1,568 rushing yards and a total of 20 TDs in just ten games this year, and he is pacing a rushing attack that is averaging 306.6 yards per game on the season. If Oregon State can’t at least slow this unit down on the ground and keep James relatively in check (and by that, we mean in the near 100ish yard range), there isn’t much hope for knocking off the best team in the country.

Key #2: You Must Believe, Oregon State!
The Beavers have had their backs to the wall a number of times before, but probably never really like this. They’re a 5-6 team right now that is certainly one of the best 40 or so teams in the country. They have fallen upon hard times because of a brutal schedule, and one absolutely unforgiveable slip up at home against the Washington State Cougars shouldn’t be the difference between them going to a bowl game and not going to one. The Civil War has been won before, right here at Reser Stadium, and Oregon State has blown away the Rose Bowl and National Championship hopes for the Ducks in the past. Oregon is a great team. There’s no taking that away from them. However, if they really think that they are going to be competing in this one, the Beavers have to enter with the mindset that they are the aggressors in this game, not the team that is just trying to keep it close and hang on for a ‘W’ at the end. If that’s what happens, they’ll get destroyed.

Key #3: Take Jacquizz Rodgers Out of the Game and Make Ryan Katz Beat You, Oregon
This is really the only think that the Ducks need to worry about. We know that their offense is going to get the job done; that’s why they’re ranked No. 1 in the country at 546.7 yards and 50.5 points per game this year. The real question is whether or not the defense, which has been shaky at times this year, can really get the job done in this rivalry game. The Beavers were shut out last week and have fallen upon some hard times, but they really aren’t to blame for all of these hassles. Their schedule and some injuries are. WR James Rodgers has been out for the majority of the season, and he was the team’s most dynamic receiver. It was bad enough that QB Ryan Katz was already being asked to step in an replace QB Sean Canfield, who was phenomenal with the Beavers in his short time in Corvallis. Now, Katz had to get the job done with Rodgers. He does have his brother to work with though, and RB Jacquizz Rodgers is the man most likely to blow this game open with big plays for the Beavers. Last year in this game, Rodgers rushed for 64 yards and caught 73 yards worth of passes, and this season, he already has 1,110 yards and 16 total scores. The way that you slow down Rodgers is by not letting him have the football. As long as Oregon’s offense keeps scoring and the defense can at least work Oregon State into a few third and long situations, the Ducks should be fine. It’s only going to take a few early stops to take the lead in this game, and once the Beavers fall two scores behind, that’s when things can get a little ugly for Katz, who has only thrown for 2,159 yards this year.

List of Odds to Win The 2011 College Football National Championship Can Be Found Below!

After months of waiting from the final gun of the Alabama/Texas National Championship Game, the college football betting season is back! With kickoff just hours away for the start of the season, here at Bankroll Sports, we are making our final NCAA football predictions with our BCS National Championship picks!

Boise State Broncos (+800 @ BetUS Sportsbook): It’s going to be incredibly difficult to beat the Broncos this season. The oddsmakers are essentially making them the favorites to go the BCS Championship Game, as they are clearly on East Street if they can get past the Virginia Tech Hokies on Monday night at FedEx Field. With 21 of the team’s 22 starters returning from a year ago, it’s hard to complain about anything that HC Chris Petersen has put together. This is the ring bearer for non-BCS conference schools to walk behind, and most of them are pulling for the Broncos to pull off the upset of upsets this year. Plain and simple, this is the team that you want to win it all in all likelihood if your team can’t do it. Boise will be in the title game if it can win this weekend.

Iowa Hawkeyes (+2000 @ BetUS Sportsbook): Save a road game at the Arizona Wildcats, the rest of the tough matchups for the Hawkeyes this year are going to be at home. Last year, Iowa snuck up on a ton of teams, but we must remember that wins against Penn State and Wisconsin and the near upset against Ohio State all came on the road. Guess which three teams all have to pay a visit to Kinnick Stadium this year? If you had to buy season tickets for one team to see the best college football betting action all year long, Iowa would be where you want to go. QB Ricky Stanzi has still never been beaten as a starting quarterback, and in a power conference where an undefeated season almost always leaves you in the BCS title game, there is no reason to believe that Iowa can’t take a perfect record deep into the fall once again this year. These are still fantastic odds on a team that is essentially intact from last year.

TCU Horned Frogs (+2000 @ BetUS Sportsbook): Is it really out of the question for the Horned Frogs to be playing the Broncos for all the marbles this year? The two programs certainly put on a great show last season in the Fiesta Bowl, making the BCS proud for doing the right thing and welcoming both non BCS schools to the show. TCU returns the bulk of its starters from a year ago, though replacing RB Joseph Turner, LB Daryl Washington, and DE Jerry Hughes will be difficult. Still, the Horned Frogs have an easiest enough schedule in the MWC that they should be able to get through with a chance to be unscathed. If they pull it off and enough chaos ensues, you never know what could happen… We’ve seen stranger things. Regardless, we think there is a significantly better chance than 1 out of 20 than TCU ends up winning the whole enchilada this year. Don’t be shocked if the Horned Frogs absolutely roll Oregon State this weekend to move up in the Top 10.

Pittsburgh Panthers (+5000 @ BetUS Sportsbook): It’s a bit of a reach, but if the Panthers can survive this road test at the Utah Utes this weekend, they will almost certainly jump into the Top 10 in the country, and deservedly so. Are you willing to pass on +5000 odds on a Top 10 team to win the National Championship? We certainly aren’t. We know that the Panthers already have one of the best running backs in the country in the form of RB Dion Lewis, who rushed for 1,799 yards a year ago. He could break all sorts of school and NCAA rushing records over the course of the next three years. As QB Tino Sunseri gets more comfortable with his surroundings, the Panthers are going to be tougher and tougher to beat. Good luck throwing against this ferocious pass rush as well. Odds have it, Pittsburgh will get picked off a couple times at some point this season. However, especially early on, if the tests are survived, the Panthers are a great choice.

2011 BCS National Championship Odds @ Oddsmaker (as of 9/2/10):
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Alabama +800
Oregon +4000
Nebraska +1200
Virginia Tech +3000
Florida +500
LSU +1200
Georgia +5000
Arkansas +4000
Miami +1500
Penn State +6000
Florida State +4000
BYU +20000
Utah +15000
California +10000
Oklahoma State +25000
Mississippi +20000
South Carolina +12500
Auburn +2000
Stanford +12500
Northwestern +60000
Notre Dame +1500
North Carolina State +75000
Tennessee +20000
Texas A&M +12500
Ohio State +350
Boise State +600
TCU +2000
Texas +1500
Oklahoma +300
Georgia Tech +10000
Pittsburgh +5000
Oregon State +10000
Wisconsin +5000
Cincinnati +10000
South Florida +30000
Washington +7500
Rutgers +75000
West Virginia +6000
Missouri +12500
Arizona +12500
Clemson +10000
North Carolina +7500
Illinois +75000
Baylor +75000
Michigan +10000
Michigan State +50000
UCLA +50000
Field +5000

Odds To Win The 2011 BCS Championship @ BetUS (as of 9/2/10):
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Alabama +425
Ohio State +600
Boise State +800
Oregon +2500
Texas +1400
Oklahoma +700
Nebraska +1400
Florida +900
Penn State +2500
Iowa +2000
Miami +2000
TCU +2000
LSU +2500
Georgia +3000
Oregon State +4000
Arkansas +3000
Wisconsin +4000
Clemson +4000
Pittsburgh +5000
Florida State +5000
Michigan +6000
Missouri +6000
Auburn +4500
Georgia Tech +5000
Tennessee +8000
Washington +5000
North Carolina +6000
UCLA +6000
Notre Dame +5000
South Florida +8000
Texas Tech +8000
Cincinnati +10000
Oklahoma State +10000
West Virginia +8000
Arizona +10000
BYU +12000
Baylor +15000
California +10000
Illinois +15000
Michigan State +10000
Mississippi +10000
North Carolina State +20000
Northwestern +15000
Rutgers +15000
South Carolina +8000
Stanford +12000
Utah +10000
Kansas State +12000
Boston College +12000
Virginia Tech +1800
Houston +15000
Connecticut +20000
Navy +20000
Kansas +20000
Purdue +20000
Wake Forest +20000
Iowa State +25000
Nevada +25000
Southern Mississippi +25000
Maryland +25000
Vanderbilt +25000
Fresno State +30000
Air Force +30000
Kentucky +30000
Duke +30000
Colorado +30000
Minnesota +30000
Virginia +30000
Indiana +35000
Syracuse +35000
Central Florida +40000
Louisville +40000
Temple +50000
SMU +50000
Army +75000
Hawaii +75000
Ohio +75000
Utah State +100000
UNLV +100000
Memphis +100000

With College Football betting season just around the corner, we want to get you prepared by looking at the odds to win the Pac 10 at Bankroll Sports, sponsored by BetUS Sportsbook .

With USC ineligible for a title, the road is paved for the Oregon Ducks (+250 at BetUS.com) to repeat as champions. The biggest problem standing in their way is replacing QB Jeremiah Masoli. Senior Nathan Costa is expected to lead the unit and will be aided by the return of the entire starting line. Jeffrey Maehl will be a solid playmaker at wide receiver, while D.J. Davis looks to become the second target. All-conference tailback LaMichael James is also expected to again spearhead a top ten ranked rushing offense, though he has been suspended for the first game of the season for off-the-field issues. The defense returns several key players, starting with last year’s sack leader in linebacker Kenny Rowe. At cornerback, the Ducks return their interceptions leader in CB Talmadge Jackson. Safety John Boyett will be a mainstay in the secondary. The Ducks’ conference schedule has two challenging road games at USC and Oregon State, but the rest of the way should be smooth sailing back to the Rose Bowl.

Keep an eye on the Arizona Wildcats (+500 at BetUS.com). The offense returns starting QB Nick Foles behind a line that features two All-Conference award winners in center Colin Baxter and tackle Adam Grant. The wide receivers run deep, with Juron Criner and David Roberts looking to become the top two options. The ground game will be led by two strong backs in Keola Antolin and Nicholas Grigsby. The defense only returns four starters from last year, but has talent to build on. The worst problem will be at linebacker, where JUCO transfer Derek Earls will be among the new starters. On the bright side, the line retains sack leader DE Ricky Elmore and another powerful end in Brooks Reed. The secondary contains junior CB Trevin Wade, who was last year’s interceptions leader. The schedule isn’t the worst, with USC and Oregon State coming to the Wildcats. The big road tests will be at Oregon and Stanford. The defense will be the make or break factor for the Wildcats’ season.

Continuing their run as one of the worst FBS programs in the nation are the Washington State Huskies (+2500 at BetUS.com). The offense will again be led by sophomore Jeff Tuel. He will need to improve on last year’s 6 touchdowns and five picks. His primary target will be junior WR Jared Karstetter. He is the only returning receiver who caught more than one touchdown pass last season. At running back, the Huskies feature senior James Montgomery, who is relatively inexperienced. The talent pool is more like a puddle on defense, as well. A success would be giving up less than 500 yards per game. The pass rush will be led by DEs Travis Long and Kevin Kaoyman, who returns from a knee injury. The schedule does the Huskies no favors, with road games at Stanford and Oregon State. Winning a conference game would be a huge step for Wazzu, but a lack of playmakers on both sides means a winless year is more likely.

Pac 10 Odds @ BetUS Sportsbook(as of 7/29/10):
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Oregon +250
Oregon State +250
UCLA +350
Arizona +500
Washington +500
California +800
Stanford +800
Arizona State +1200
Washington State +2500
USC – Not Eligible

The thrill of college football thrives off the unexpected. The surprise teams, upsets, and breakout players compose the perfect package to real excitement. The always present “anything can happen” factor has become a motto for college football. Also, we love to cheer on players who have achieved great things. It’s hard not to applaud achievements by the likes of a Tim Tebow or a Sam Bradford. Each year you know there is going to be another group of athletes to make their mark among the top players in the nation. We give those players their respected spotlight and applaud their performances. On the other side of the story lines, there are just as many disappointment stories with each season of football. Those players who fail to reach the high expectations put forth by fans and the media. Often times these players are just forgotten and fall out of the limelight. However, we are going to change that as we bring some of those disappointment stories center stage. Take a look as we break down the Top 5 biggest letdown players for the 2009 season from the offensive side of the ball.

#5. RB C.J Spiller (Clemson Tigers)

C.J Spiller shared carries during his first 3 years at Clemson with the talented power rushing back of James Davis. However, heading into the 2009 season Spiller was going to be the guy that got the work load which had Tigers fans with a ton of anticipation given Spiller game changing ability. The buzz out of the ACC and Clemson had built up a Heisman Campaign for Spiller in expectations of his big senior season. However, thus far in the season Spiller has yet to prove he has what it takes to be an every down running back. Spiller has made a bunch of big plays this year, but most of those have been from the kick and punt returns. Spiller has produced just 360 yards through 5 games and has failed to reach the century mark in all 3 ACC conference games. Actually most of the early success from the Clemson offense has come from the arm of freshman quarterback Kyle Parker, in result to Spiller’s struggles. The Tigers rushing attack has been just average after being advertised as one of the best the ACC has to offer. More importantly with Spiller receiving all the carries, it has really hurt him in the eyes of the NFL. He has yet to prove he can be an affective every down back and the only true danger he has presented to opposing teams this season has been as a return specialist. Spiller’s lack of productivity has just added to a growing list of disappointments coming out of Clemson in the last few years.

#4. QB Juice Williams (Illinois Illini)

Juice Williams had a breakout senior campaign for the Illini. The Illinois quarterback threw for 3,173 yards and 22 touchdowns in 2008 while rushing for another 719 additional yards. The big year gave many fans the indication that Williams would be an unstoppable force in his senior year. Those expectations had Illinois listed as one of the best offenses in the Big Ten entering 2009 with Williams at quarterback and WR Arrelious Benn. However, the Illini have been anything but explosive this season during their disappointing 1-4 start and the problem has been where they least expected on the offensive side of the ball. Outside of the Illini’s thrashing over an inferior Illinois State team 45-17, the team is 0-4. Williams has been a big disappointment completing just 54% on the season and only 628 yards after 5 games. After throwing for 3,000 plus yards a season ago, the Illini quarterback is on track to throw for less than 1,500 yards. Williams has 4 interceptions on the season to just 2 touchdowns and the Illinois offense has averaged just 10 points per game in their 4 losses on the season. The questionable performance by Williams has even caused the Illini to explore options with quarterback Eddie McGee as they continue to try to find some solutions for an offense that was suppose to be carried by Williams this season.

#3. RB Charles Scott (LSU Tigers)

The LSU Tigers were predicted to be among the top teams in the SEC this season and so far they have lived up to those expectations despite falling short to Florida in a big battle Saturday night. However, the main expectations on offense relied on the certainty of running back Charles Scott. The Tigers struggled offensively in 2008, but Scott was the lone bright spot on the team. Scott carried the offense racking up nearly 1,200 yards on the ground. Entering the season, LSU was expected to be among the best rushing teams in the SEC behind Scott in his senior season along with the help of Keiland Williams. However, the Tigers have failed to run the ball ranking near the very bottom of the SEC. Scott has produced just 276 yards in 6 games. The senior tailback had minimal expectations of reaching the 1,000 yard plateau again and there were many who predicted him to lead the SEC in rushing for 2009. However, Scott is on track to barely break the 500 yard mark. Outside of a big play to beat Georgia, Scott has provided absolutely nothing for the LSU offense to be cheerful about. Also if that does not change down the stretch, there is no way LSU will stay in the hunt for an SEC Championship because you have to be able run the ball in the SEC to contend.

#2.RB LaGarrette Blount (Oregon Ducks)

It did not take long for LaGarrette Blount to become one of the biggest disappointments of the season. Blount was poised to be a big threat to the Ducks rushing offense this season along side QB Jeremiah Masoli. However, in the Ducks opener to Boise State everything went wrong. Not only was Blount shutdown completely getting 8 carries for negative 5 yards, but the Ducks running back would never get a chance to redeem himself. The Ducks offense was embarrassed in their opener on the big stage falling to the Broncos 19-8. However, it was not till after the game till things really got out of hand. After being taunted in the post game celebration, Blount let his emotions get the best of him throwing a punch that landed on Byron Hout of Boise State. Blount then went on a rampage even making move towards fans on the exit ramps which was a completely embarrassing reflection on the Ducks organization. The outrage cost Blount his last year of eligibility considering he was suspended one day later for the rest of the season. Good news for Oregon fans is the Ducks have really come on strong since the shameful opener, but Blount still remains a huge disappointment.

#1. QB Jevan Snead (Mississippi Rebels)

Jevan Snead led the Mississippi Rebels on a scoring rampage to end the 2008 season displaying pinpoint accuracy while proving he had the talent to make all the throws on the field. The late season performance was so strong that it had the media and fans in Oxford raving over their new found superstar at quarterback. Snead was labeled as “the best pure quarterback in the SEC.” The media and college experts predicted great things and another big year from the Rebels quarterback in 2009. Snead’s praises even had him on preseason Heisman ballots and NFL scouts were already making plans to watch games live and get an up close encounter with possibly the next top quarterback to come out of the college ranks. However, things have been quite different in 2009. Not only has the Rebels offense struggled as a whole, but Snead has been anything but a leader behind center.

The Rebels quarterback got off to a mediocre start before SEC play got underway. However in Snead’s first big game of the year with all NFL scouts on hand, the Rebels star had the worse performance of his career going 7 of 21 for just 107 yards in a loss to South Carolina. The lackluster performance was though to just be a fluke, but since Snead has thrown 7 interceptions in the last 2 games including 4 yesterday against Alabama. In the Rebels two losses to quality SEC teams, Snead has thrown 18 for 55 and 247 yards. The Rebels who were once ranked as high as number 4 in the country have fallen outside the Top 25 with an offense that just can not move the ball. It is safe to say that Snead has easily been the biggest letdown of any single player in college football this season as the Rebels have went from an SEC offensive powerhouse a team that is averaging just 6.6 points per game in their first 3 SEC match-ups.

The 2009 College Football Season has been filled with many unexpected outcomes. It seems like just when you think you got a team figured out they disappoint those expectations. Until this past weekend a top 5 team had been beaten every week of the season and there has been many more upsets as well. We have seen highly rank teams drop and new faces emerge in the rankings. However, if anything is clear for the 2009 season it is that the rankings have not had any type of significant importance. Perhaps it is hard to rank teams when there are so many others that are equally talented. Every week new rankings are releases and more questions arise. Do not get caught up with some team’s polls perceptions as rankings can be very misleading especially at this point in the season. California was ranked as high as 6th just two weeks ago and find themselves outside the top 25. Then you look at the Miami Hurricanes who were barely receiving preseason votes to be ranked, and Hurricanes have been ranked as high as 9th this season. Our goal is to breakdown a few teams in the Top 25 to see who exactly are contenders and those that are pretenders.

Pretenders

No. 4 LSU Tigers (4-0)

The LSU Tigers got their biggest win of the season in dramatic fashion last weekend 20-13 over the previously ranked no. 18 Georgia Bulldogs. However, LSU has not been very impressive in their 4-0 start. The Tigers barely escaped an opener at Washington and had to overcome 3 straight defensive stands from the 1 yard line to beat Mississippi State. It seems like LSU keeps finding ways to win. Running back Charles Scott broke open a 33 yard touchdown run with 46 seconds to go to take down the Bulldogs in another exciting finish. However, the Tigers luck is going to run out especially when they take on top ranked Florida this week. LSU has bigger concerns than the Gators as how they will finish the season. The offense ranks 99th overall producing just 321 yards per game. Those offensive numbers have to improve against the SEC defenses which are among the best in the country. The Tigers top 5 ranked Florida and Alabama in the next 4 weeks and also a meeting with no. 17 Auburn in that stretch as well. If they continue under performing, they could easily go 1-3 in their next 4 games.

Oklahoma Sooners (2-2)

Surely, Sooners fans still have beliefs they can still win the Big 12 considering both of their losses were to out of conference teams and sure both of their losses have been to ranked teams. However, they are still in considerable trouble through the remainder of the year. The team has multiple problems and not necessarily referring to Heisman Trophy winner Sam Bradford. Backup QB Landry Jones has thrown the ball well completing 60% with 10 touchdowns. However, the Sooners offense is nowhere near the dominant form they were in 2008. Outside of Ryan Broyles, the young receivers are struggling to make plays. Running backs DeMarco Murray and Chris Brown do not have huge holes as they did last season. With those misfires, the Sooners have scored just 33 points in their two biggest games of the season against Miami and BYU. The Sooners main big offensive games were against inferior teams like Idaho State and Tulsa. They will have to work out a lot of kinks quickly as Baylor, Texas, and Kansas and next up on the schedule.

No. 20 Mississippi Rebels (3-1)

The Rebels received a ton of high expectations entering the season behind coach Houston Nutt and quarterback Jevan Snead. Nutt turned the program around last season capturing 9 wins nearly more than the Rebels have accumulated in the 3 previous seasons. QB Jevan Snead sparked an offense at the end of 2008 that became one of the most feared in the SEC. A lot of attention was drawn to Snead this season as NFL and Heisman talk buzzed around Oxford. Wide receivers Shay Hodge and Dexter McCluster gave even more reason to expect big things on offense. However, the offense has yet to be explosive as they were a season ago averaging just 19 points per game in their first two SEC contest. The Rebels lost the SEC opener to South Carolina after reaching their highest ranking in 40 years at number 4 in the country. However not only has the offense been questionable, but so has quarterback Jevan Snead. Snead has completing just 51% this season while throwing 5 interceptions in 4 games. The letdown behind center has many wondering if the Rebels quarterback may have been high over rated or will he bounce back? The Rebels slow start is not going to get any better if they don’t pick up the pace with their brutal SEC schedule that will face no. 3 Alabama this weekend.

Contenders

No. 23 South Florida Bulls (5-0)

The Bulls lost their senior quarterback and leader in Matt Grothe to a knee injury for the season in their 3rd game of the season. The huge loss appeared to have dampened South Florida’s chances at having a successful season. However, nobody told backup quarterback B.J Daniels. The freshman quarterback has matured quickly throwing for 180 yards per game in 3 starts and rushing for another 263 yards in those 3 games as well. The Bulls have not lost a step beating the likes of Florida State and Syracuse convincingly. The Bulls defense has held opponents to an impressive 9.4 points per game and may be the best defense in the Big East. The Bulls face their biggest game of the season when they host Cincinnati this weekend. If somehow they can capture a win this young team confidence may never come down. However even with a loss, South Florida is still going to be a force in the Big East this season.

No. 17 Auburn Tigers (5-0)

The Auburn Tigers have not received a lot of attention this season, but the media is starting to catch on to the fact that Alabama is not the only team in the state that has a chance at an SEC Championship. The Tigers offensive has exploded averaging over 500 yards per game and ranking 5th overall in the nation. The impressive thing about the offense is they are very balanced. Running backs Ben Tate and Onterio McCalebb have combined for well over 900 yards in just 5 games along with 5 touchdowns. Todd has posted over 1,230 yards in just 5 games with 12 touchdowns and only 1 interception. The balanced threat has also given Auburn the number 5 ranked scoring offense posting 41 points per game. The Tigers just received a top 25 ranking after last week’s win over Tennessee and their offense is going to keep them in the rankings for some time. Auburn is an impressive 4-1 ATS this season as a profitable money maker which could likely continue. The Tigers are going to have a chance to really make some more noise this season as well. Auburn gets manageable meetings with Kentucky and Arkansas next on the schedule which should place them nicely at 7-0 before their trip to LSU. However, there is not a game left on the schedule that they can not win.

No. 13 Oregon Ducks (4-1)

The Oregon Ducks were embarrassed by Boise State in a sloppy opener to the college football season. The 19-8 loss seen by millions critically wounded the Ducks perceptions as most had written off the team for the rest of the year. However, the Ducks have been consistently improving each week since their loss and now they are firing as an explosive offensive team. The Ducks completely crushed California who was at the time ranked 6th 42-3, then backed that up with a blowout over Washington State this past week 52-6. Freshman LaMichael James has played well stepping in for LaGarrette Blount who was suspended for the punch thrown in the opener. James has rushed for 429 yards in 4 games carrying an impressive 6 yards per carry average. Jeremiah Masoli remains a dual threat behind center and is also playing well. The Ducks re-emergence has taken the books by surprise as they are 3-0 ATS in their last 3 games. The Ducks now appear to be on track to contend for Pac-10 Title. Considering how well the defense has played over the last few games along with their improving offense, a championship may not be out of the question.

The 2009 College Football Season kicks off Thursday night with 9 different games that will take the spotlight as college football enthusiast tune in to the opening night of football. South Carolina travels to North Carolina State in the opening premier match-up which will be followed by a battle between top 25 teams No. 16 Oregon at No. 14 Boise State. There will be plenty of action throughout opening night and surely bettors will be eager to get an opportunity to make some quick cash and get things off to a good start to their seasons. Of course, most will be betting on the game totals and over/unders. However, we take a look at some interesting prop bets from BetUS Sportsbook (100% football bonus using this link) & Sportsbook.com (50% football bonus using this link) for the first night of football and break down unique ways to cash in and earn some money while watching these games.

Free Prop Bet Pick #1 – South Carolina Gamecocks at North Carolina State Wolfpack 

Double Result Odds:
South Carolina/South Carolina +250
South Carolina/Tie +2000
South Carolina/North Carolina State +500
Tie/South Carolina +2000
Tie/Tie +8000
Tie/North Carolina State +2000
North Carolina State/South Carolina +600
North Carolina State/Tie +1800
North Carolina State/North Carolina State -200

The “double result” bet is perhaps one of the simplest exciting bets with the opportunity to really make some money. If you are not familiar with this type of bet, you are basically predicting initially the winner of the first half and then the winner of the 2nd half. There are 9 different scenarios that can play out and all of them usually have profitable odds. North Carolina State will enter the game as 4 point favorites due to a strong offense behind the young talented quarterback of Russell Wilson. However, we tend to warn that Wilson and company may not have an easy task of overcoming the South Carolina defense. The Gamecocks secondary ranked 2nd in the country last season holding teams to just 159 yards per game through the air. South Carolina may have lost a large portion of that secondary, but they have a history of producing a strong secondary and have put plenty of cornerbacks in the NFL over the past few years. The Gamecocks defense will also be very solid up front and should get a lot of pressure making it difficult for the Wolfpack offense. The big question will be if the South Carolina offense can deliver. The quarterbacks had plenty of trouble last year throwing more interceptions than any team in college football (27). Stephen Garcia will be the man behind center this year and he has a lot of upside if he can be accurate. Even with 4 interceptions in the first half last year, the Gamecocks routed the Wolfpack in a 34-0 blowout on opening night. The Wolfpack should have no trouble getting on the board this year, but that is not to say they will have tons of success. The Gamecocks defense should get the job done again and it could be similar scenario despite what the media may be predicting.

Free Football Pick – South Carolina/South Carolina

Free Prop Bet Pick #2– Oregon Ducks at Boise State Broncos

Who will score first?
Oregon -105
Boise State -115

This particular game will highlight two very talented offense in what could very well turnout to be a high scoring shootout. The Ducks offense ranked 7th nationally in 2008 gaining 484 yards per contest while the Broncos ranked 18th racking up 440 yards per game. The over/under total is listed at a lofty 64.5 points a game so touchdowns are to be expected. However, who will score first? Well that could be simple if we first knew who would get the ball first? Well that may be a stretch, but both offenses should get the better of the defense. However, we all know how offenses some time take some rhythm before they spark early in the year especially in the opening match-up. Last year, it took Oregon until the end of the season before the offense became alive. Even if they are to come out ready this Thursday night they will play a solid Boise State defense that ranked 20th overall in 2008. The Broncos on the other hand will go against one of the worse pass defenses from 2008. Oregon ranked an extremely disappointing 111th last season against the pass allowing 270 yards per game. Add to the fact that the Broncos have only lost two games on their home field in the last ten years and there is plenty reason to think they will be the first to ignite on offense. Oregon will give them a run for their money, but they will likely make a late charge.

Free Football Pick – Boise State -115

Free Prop Bet Pick #3 – Utah State Aggies at Utah Utes

First Quarter Betting Line:
Utah State +4.5
Utah -4.5

The Utah Utes became college football’s version of a Cinderella story last year after an undefeated season that was captivated by a heroic and convincing victory over Alabama in the Sugar Bowl. Utah will enter opening night as the number 19 team in the nation when they travel to take on inner state foe Utah State. Utah had an impressive offense in 2009, but despite popular perception it was the defense that made the difference. The Utes will return 8 of those starters that contributed to the nations 11 best defensive unit. Utah State on the other hand returns one of the worse defenses in the land. The Aggies barely ranked inside the top 100 allowing 412 yards per game. The Aggies will have a solid quarterback in Diondre Borel, but it may be a difficult task overthrowing the Utes tough defensive front. The Utes should be able to control the Aggies fairly easy and that is a big reason they are 20 point favorites. America’s new favorite team should control this game from start to finish and the defense should keep the team from getting behind even if they are to come out flat. Points should be easy to come by and the Utes will led by two scores at the end of the first quarter.

Free Football Pick – Utah -4.5