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The college football betting season finished the same way that it started for the Virginia Tech Hokies: Without much Luck. Andrew Luck threw for 287 yards and four touchdowns to lead the No. 4 Stanford Cardinal to a 40-12 win over the No. 13 Virginia Tech Hokies Monday night, a victory that will only improve his stock for the upcoming draft. The Heisman trophy runner up looked poised and confident throughout the entire game, and couldn’t have finished his career at Stanford on a higher note, getting the nod from a Stanford alumni and two-time betting on NFL Super Bowl champion quarterback in John Elway, who served as the Cardinal honorary captain for the contest. The future first round pick missed just five attempts en route to being named the MVP for the Orange Bowl, and it will be interesting to see just how much this performance improved his stock.

This game meant a lot to more than just Luck however, as a couple of Cardinal players hoisted head coach Jim Harbaugh on their shoulders and walked him around the stadium after the program finished in the top five nationally for the first time since 1940. The climactic ending fits the storybook turnaround the team has experienced since Harbaugh was hired four years ago following Stanford’s terrible 1-11 online sports bettingseason. Three of Luck’s four touchdown passes went to tight end Coby Fleener, who registered scores of 41, 58, and 38 yards. Fleener finished the game with six catches for 173 yards. It won’t be as monumental to the tight end as it may possibly be to the head coach if Harbaugh makes the decision to move on in the offseason. The veteran coach is expected to be courted by several NFL teams as well as some other college programs, including his very own alma mater in Michigan. There is no telling what he will do for the coming season, which is probably why his story isn’t as big as the one about the player that is almost assuredly going to move on to the NFL draft.

Luck is almost surely going to be a pay per head first round draft selection once he enters this year’s process, and it wouldn’t surprise anybody if he went first overall to the Carolina Panthers. The two-win Panthers selected former Notre Dame standout Jimmy Clausen in the second round of the 2010 draft, but he failed to impress in his first year and that may prompt the franchise to go after the calm and poise that Luck carries himself with. His play has also provided a major boost to the PAC-10, which had as many as four teams in the top 25 this season, a group that didn’t even include traditional power USC. If the second-ranked Oregon Ducks can manage to get the job done against No. 1 Auburn in this year’s Tostitos BCS Championship game, the PAC-10 may be ready to challenge the SEC as the best conference in college football this year.

A month ago No. 10 Boise State and No. 19 Utah were undefeated and still had hopes of doing big things in a BCS bowl game, including a potential BCS national title game spot for the Broncos, who were pressing in the top-five. Much has changed since then however, and after both suffered losses towards the end of their seasons, they ended up in Wednesday night’s MAACO Bowl. There was clearly betting disappointment for Boise State having come so close a third straight undefeated season only to end up in a non-BCS bowl, and they played that way for most of the first half before taking control in an eventual 26-3 win over Utah.

The Broncos turned the ball over three times in the first half but Kellen Moore threw for 339 yards and two touchdowns and Boise State rallied for the 26-3 win. Doug Martin ran for 147 yards and a touchdown, including an 84-yard run that seemed to spark the Broncos out of their brief funk through the first two quarters. The fact that Boise State was able to come back and bully a team that was ranked as high as six earlier in the football betting year was just another stark reminder of how good this team could be, and how close they came to bigger things.

A Heisman trophy nominee, Moore and his Broncos came within two missed field goals of a possible Rose Bowl appearance. That loss was particularly hard on the special teams staff and kicker Kyle Brotzman, as it cost the school millions of dollars for a potential BCS bowl bid, as well as a lot of the respect that it gained over two years without a single loss. Brotzman actually became the NCAA all-time leader in points scored with a second-quarter field goal, but that is little compensation for what has transpired. Boise State was ranked as high as No. 2 in the AP polls this year, and looked like a favorite to become the first team from a betting services conference without an automatic bid to appear in the national championship game. Moore finished fourth in the Heisman voting, and threw for 339 yards in the win by completing 28-of-28 passes to rebound from a slow start.

For Utah, the storylines were completely different, as the school makes the move into the PAC-12 conference for next season where the Utes can play for an automatic big bowl bid. Utah was completely shut down in the loss, especially quarterback Terrance Cain and the passing game, which was limited to just 93 yards. Cain completed just 10-of-24 passes, and was harassed the entire game. The Broncos are moving to the Mountain West, but will still need to impress the voters to have their shot at a BCS bowl game. It seems as though every year Boise State gets close, but cannot fill the gap. Then again, there is always next year to root for one of the most exciting college football betting teams.

With the BCS bowl season right around the corner, the majority of the focus has been on the upcoming national title game and the remaining bowls, but at least a couple of college football betting coaches have their eye on what in beyond. Alabama head coach Nick Saban told reporters that he has already spoken with a number of juniors on the team, warning them about how the uncertain labor situation in the NFL could possibly affect their professional career.

Saban led the Crimson Tide to a national championship only a couple of years ago, but couldn’t keep the momentum going in to this year with a number of injuries and the toughest online sports betting schedule. Alabama struggled as the season progressed with a couple of occasions in which they had to play consecutive games against ranked opponents, but even despite the tough road they showed flashes of the team that won it all the year before. A big part of that were the junior players on the team, including Heisman trophy winner and running back Mark Ingram, who missed some time at the beginning of the year due to injury. Ingram is part of a group that includes defensive end Marcell Dareus, wide receiver Julio Jones, safety Mark Barron, and linebacker Dont’a Hightower. The same situation typically comes up at the end of every year with coaches trying to convince their top players to stay once they’ve already become eligible to enter the draft, but this time there is a major difference, which Saban alluded to.

The Crimson Tide head coach admitted that he usually supported players that were projected first-round picks, but that this year he has told players that aren’t projected to go in the top-15 that things would be different. The NFL is facing sportsbook promo uncertainty heading in to this year due to stalled labor agreements, and that could cause several players to miss time next year or potential value on their first contracts as there would be no urgency for teams to sign players if there were to be no games scheduled.

On the other hand, player agents are taking a different approach with the chance to earn themselves money by declaring eligible rather than spending another year in school. Those agents have told players that it would be better to join the league sooner, because a potential rookie wage scale could come in to effect in the next couple of years. Both the NFL and NFL players association have discussed a rookie wages system, similar to the one used in the NHL standings, but there could still be some time before anything is made official. There is no such system currently in place, and despite the fact that the onus could be on the owners as individuals, an established system could prevent them from hurting themselves. There is no reason to think that these developments will have a major impact on the upcoming bowl games, but it should be something to pay attention to.

With the the regular season complete, conference championships played, and the BCS Bowl schedule announced, the attention turns to recognizing the best from this year’s college football betting season. The Home Depot College Football awards will go down at Lake Buena Vista in Florida Thursday night, and while a case can be made that the nominees for each of the awards deserve to be there, it will be a specific couple of players that stand ahead of the rest for a couple of the most talked about awards.

The Doak Walker award is given to the player recognized as the best running back in NCAAF betting for a given season. Wisconsin’s John Clay and Oklahoma State’s Kendall Hunter are among the three nominees, but will each be runners up when the award winner is announced. The Doak Walker will go to Oregon’s LaMichael James for his incredible season with undefeated Oregon. James rushed for 1,682 yards and 21 touchdowns on the year, with an averaged of 6.0 yards per carry for the PAC-10 champions. The sophomore running back isn’t done yet however, as he has one more stop in the Tostitos’ BCS National Championship game on January 10. James helped the Ducks top-ranked offense to an average of nearly 50 points per game, and as the only legitimate Heisman trophy candidate among the three nominees will almost assuredly win the award.

The Davey O’Brien Award goes to the best quarterback, a feature category as it contains a couple of names that have been mentioned a lot in regards to next year’s NFL betting draft. Stanford’s Andrew Luck was among the most talked about signal-callers before the year, and after leading the Cardinal to a near perfect season, is now the undoubted number-one option for team’s looking for a pocket quarterback with a strong arm and solid accuracy. Boise State’s Kellen Moore is the most unlikely to win the award after letting a third straight undefeated season slip from the Broncos’ hands with only a couple of games left in the season. Moore showed promise at points in the season, but was far too inconsistent for a smaller conference school to have a chance at beating out the other two finalists.

That leaves one name left in regards to the award for best quarterback, and given his status among the most impact players for his school, this signal-caller can also be considered the front runner to win the Heisman trophy as well. Auburn is ranked No. 1 heading in to the Tostitos’ BCS National Championship game, and Cameron Newton is the biggest reason why. Despite having to deal with the pay per head controversy that came with allegations that his father had lobbied for bribes in return for his commitment to playing, Newton led the country in pass efficiency, and threw for 2, 589 yards, 28 touchdowns, and six interceptions. With the pressure on and the Tigers striving for a perfect season, Newton rose to the task throwing just a single interception through his final seven games, and that is why he is not only the best quarterback in college football, but the best player regardless of position.

The most highly-anticipated week of the college football betting season is upon us, and with so much on the line, it’s the in-state rivalries that will make up the majority of the meaningful showdowns week 13 and 14. While there may not have been this much excitement for these match ups when they were originally announced, the way the season has panned out has put the biggest NCAAF spotlight on these games.

The biggest online sports betting match up will have major BCS implications as No. 2 Auburn travels to Tuscaloosa to battle No. 11 Alabama. The Crimson Tide have already suffered two losses this year, which effectively eliminated them from a chance to defend both their SEC and BCS championships. If the Tigers can manage to escape Bryant-Denny Stadium with a victory, they will head to the SEC championship game against South Carolina State the following week with a perfect 12-0 record intact. Auburn is two wins away from earning a spot in the national title game, but will have a tough time against a Crimson Tide team that enters this game as though it is their own championship.

Another former BCS champion is involved in an in-state match up this week with Florida battling Florida State at Tallahassee. Two years removed from the top of the college football scene, the Gators have gone just 7-4 in the first season after former Heisman trophy winner Tim Tebow moved on to the betting on NFL 2010 draft. Florida still has the chance to finish on a strong note by handing the Seminoles their seventh straight loss, and considering that they are undefeated against Florida State under head coach Urban Meyer, that is a very likely scenario.

While the match up between the Tigers and Crimson Tide takes top spot for the in-state rivalries this week due to the opponent Auburn will face, the nation’s top-ranked team will also have a tough fight this weekend. No. 1 Oregon will battle with Oregon State in the game that could clinch their BCS title shot. The Ducks will play their biggest game of the season this Friday against No. 21 Arizona, and if they can get through this week unscathed the in-state match up will represent the shot to secure their spot in the national championship. The Beavers knocked off USC 36-7 last Saturday to improve to 5-5 on the year, but will need to take down either the Ducks or No. 6 Stanford to have any shot at a football betting Bowl game.

Other interesting story lines for in-state rivalry games will feature UCLA and USC clashing with little more than bragging rights on the line, Texas battling Texas A&M with the Aggies’ shot at a potential Bowl game on the line, and No. 9 Oklahoma State defending its one-game lead over No. 13 Oklahoma.

With just two more games left on their college football betting schedule, including a massive SEC showdown with the defending national champion Crimson Tide the final week of the season, No. 2 Auburn is in the headlines Thursday for all the wrong reasons. The Tigers are facing allegations regarding tampering that center on their best player quarterback Cam Newton, with reports that his decision to join Auburn when he was being recruited late last year was in accordance with pay per head finance arrangements that were made with the school by his father.

Two sources that recruit for Mississippi State are the men reportedly behind the allegations of tampering, noting that in separate conversations with Newton and his father Cecil there was talk about that the signal caller would sign under a pay-for-play plan for his college career. Those Bulldogs’ officials acutally relayed their side of the story to the Sourtheastern football betting conference officials back in January according to another two sources that are close to the program. According to the reports, Cecil supposedly said to the recruiters that it would take, “more than a scholarship” for his son to go and play at Mississippi State, something that the Bulldogs’ brass were unwilling to do. Cecil reportedly also told the recruiter about a third party that would help set up the specifics regarding his request.

The story becomes even more compelling with the allegations that after Newton made a commitment to play for Auburn, he then made a personal phone call to the recruiter from Mississippi State to apologize for not committing to their school while citing that his father made the decision for him because “the money was too much.” While the report was initially filed this past January, the fact that the details pertaining to this issue are only being revealed now has placed a dark cloud over the school just two weeks away from potentially clinching a spot in the sports betting BCS title game. After all, the biggest reason that the Tigers are even in the chase for the national championship game is because of Newton’s Heisman-caliber play.

Newton declined to comment on the issue and did not return phone calls or e-mails sent out from media outlets in the last 24 hours. He also told reporters that he knew nothing about the report and that he hadn’t even seen it. Head coach Gene Chizik remained silent on the topic as well, conceding that while reporters did have a job to do, his focus was solely on a northbet.com review huge match up against Georgia this upcoming weekend. With their perfect season still intact, the Tigers cannot afford a slip up this late, especially with No. 3 TCU right behind them and ready to jump in to a BCS title spot. All eyes will be on Newton for this Saturday however, and it will be interesting to see how the Tigers’ leading man reacts to all the pressure that is on him.

It is no secret that when it comes to college football betting, smaller conference schools just don’t get the same respect schools from the bigger conferences do. Just ask number-four Boise State, which are four wins away from their third straight undefeated season. Not only did the Broncos emerge from a tough test against Hawaii 8-0, they put on an offensive clinic with a school record 737 yards en route to a 42-7 blowout win. Despite the dominating performance, Boise State’s win barely registered in the BCS standings, with the team remaining in the same position they were in before the game started. Once more, it seems as though the Broncos likely won’t get their spot in the national title game.  The same cannot be said about another smaller conference school in TCU, which still might have a chance at getting to the championship match.

The number-three Horned Frogs absolutely destroyed previously undefeated and number-five Utah 47-7 for their first win in Salt Lake City on Saturday. While the 40-point margin was enough of a statement, the fact that Utes’ head coach Kyle Woodingham said after the game that, “the 40-point margin was not indicative of how lopsided this game was.” The win registered on the national stage as TCU closed in on number-two Auburn, pulling to within three points. While going undefeated through the final two sports betting games of the season against San Diego State and New Mexico may not be enough to get to the national championship game, it is almost certain that if either Auburn or number-one Oregon slip, the Horned Frogs will have their shot.

That didn’t happen this past weekend as the top two teams in the BCS rankings maintained their position with big wins. The Ducks topped the 50-point mark for the sixth time this season with a 53-16 win over Washington, and are now three victories away from securing their spot in the football betting BCS title game. Oregon will not face another ranked team, with California, Arizona, and Oregon State left on the path to the national championship.

Like Oregon, the Tigers are in control of their own destiny. However unlike the Ducks, Auburn will face a much tougher road to the big game. The Tigers had no trouble blowing away Chatanooga 62-24, but will now prepare for a northbet.com review tough match up against Georgia before heading on the road to take on the defending national champions Alabama in their season finale. While the Crimson Tide have fallen off this year with a pair of losses to top-20 ranked SEC teams, they still present a massive challenge to Auburn’s perfect season. Head coach Nick Saban understands his team won’t be in the national title game this year, but that won’t stop him from rallying his team it what will be the Crimson’s Tide’s own sportsbook bonus game. Should the Tigers falter, the Horned Frogs may just get their shot.

The college football betting focus will remain at the top of the Bowl Championship Series rankings once again this week, with three undefeated teams taking the spotlight with crucial match ups this Saturday. Number-two Oregon, number-five Michigan State, and number-six Missouri, and are all undefeated and within contention for a spot in the national title game. Aside from their perfect records, the one thing that all three teams have in common is simple, as they will all head to the road this weekend. What makes this online sports betting scenario even more interesting is that all three number-one teams that have had their undefeated seasons ruined in the past four weeks were all on the road for their losses.

Number-one Auburn are on the road, but unlike the previous three number-one’s that have fallen, the Tigers will not be facing a ranked opponent. Still, after a tough win over LSU last weekend, Auburn may be somewhat vulnerable, and will need a physical effort to ensure they don’t become the fourth team in five weeks to fall out of the top spot in the BCS rankings.

The number-two Ducks will face their toughest challenge of the season so far when they make the trip to Southern California in a game that serves as the perfect illustration in the changing of the football betting guard in the PAC-10. Oregon is ranked number- one in the AP Polls for the first time in school history with a perfect seven wins, and can take a stranglehold on the conference with another win. The nation’s number one ranked offense will take on an opponent that is clearly no longer in the same class after dominating the PAC-10 for so many years. The Trojans were a staple atop the PAC-10 and in the running for a national title over the past few years, but sanctions stemming from athletic violations have left the program a shadow of its former self.

Number-five Michigan State is at number-18 Iowa in another crucial football betting showdown, with the fact that the Spartans haven’t won away from home against the Hawkeyes since 1989 adding even more intrigue to the storyline. Longtime defensive coordinator Norm Parker will give his defense a boost just by being back in the building. Parker has been away from the team while struggling with complications that have stemmed from diabetes.

The final undefeated NCAAF betting team that is ranked in the top-six and playing on the road this weekend is Missouri. The Tigers are atop the Big-12 standings after opening with a 3-0 record in the conference, and 7-0 mark overall. Missouri is at Nebraska this weekend looking to make another statement after climbing all the way up to number-six.

The only other top-six team with a road date this week was Boise State, which continued its chase towards a third straight undefeated season with another big win. The Broncos will continue to sit on the outside looking in for now, along with TCU as two undefeated teams from conferences without automatic bids.

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After a thrilling 60-13 college football betting win over UCLA, fans of Oregon were preparing for the shot at moving to the top of the rankings in the Bowl Championship Series, needing only an Auburn loss to finally making the jump. After finally getting the number-one spot in the AP Poll, the Ducks steamrolled their week eight opponent Thursday night, setting the stage for the move with number-one Auburn facing a tough Saturday match up against LSU, but the Tigers prevailed with a 24-17 win.

So Auburn keeps the number-one BCS ranking for another week, the first number one-ranked team to keep that title for consecutive weeks in a month after Alabama, Ohio State, and Oklahoma lost in three straight weeks in their first games after being named the top team. Quarterback Cam Newton has established himself as an early favorite to win this year’s Heisman trophy, with over 1,300 combined yards and an incredible 27 touchdowns. Newton and the Tigers will face perhaps their toughest test remaining this season the last week of the online sports betting year. Auburn won’t face another ranked opponent the next three weeks before taking on the defending national champion Crimson Tide in their finale. The Tigers will need the time to regroup after what is always a physical match up, alluding to the win over LSU.

As for the Ducks, the fact that they’ve peaked in the AP polls simply is not good enough. Oregon will look to make another statement this weekend in what is a true testament to the changing of the guard in the PAC-10. The Ducks and their number-one ranked offense will take on Lane Kiffin and the Trojans on the road, their first of two games in California over the next three weeks. While Oregon has scored more points than any other betting team, their defense has been solid as well. With a strong rushing attack and the ability to manage the clock for their stoppers, the Ducks are well on their way to a PAC-10 championship. Anything less than a clean sweep the remainder of the way will most likely result in Oregon being bumped for a spot in the Northbet review betting national title game, so there will be pressure. But if they can continue to take care of their own business, they will all but ensure a spot in the top two, perhaps finally getting to the number one spot if the Tigers slip.

While the SEC may still be the strongest conference in college football betting, their beating up of one another could result in a couple of smaller schools sneaking in. Should Auburn lose, that would leave Oregon to take the top spot, with undefeated Boise State still knocking on the door from number three. The Broncos soft schedule has prevented them from reaching BCS championships, but a third straight undefeated season could very well change that.

It seems ironic that one week before the 2010 BCS Standings are to be announced for the first time, the defending national champion Alabama Crimson Tide suffered their first loss since the 2009 Sugar Bowl, falling to the number-19 South Carolina State last weekend in the biggest upset of the week. The college football betting national rankings had a major shuffling, with the number-one Crimson Tide moving all the way down to number-eight, while the Gamecocks climbed up to number ten. Ohio State is the new number-one team in the country, making it that much more interesting to see how the Bowl Championship Series will rank them.

The Buckeyes appear to be the favorite to earn one of the two BCS spots right now, especially considering their undefeated record, number-one ranking, and that they have a prime candidate for the Heisman trophy as their star quarterback. Terrelle Pryor is easily among the best players that scouts are anticipating for the NFL betting draft should he declare his eligibility, and with not only one of the best passer ratings, but some of the best rushing numbers, is one of the most dangerous players in the country. Ohio State will have only a couple of tough games against ranked teams in taking on number-18 Wisconsin this week, and number-15 Iowa on November 20. A major upset loss may be all that keeps the Buckeyes from getting back to the BCS Championship, but there is still a long way to go in the season.

Next in line for one of the two spots in the BCS Championship game is Oregon, who is ranked third in the country out of the PAC-10. The Ducks have one of the best offenses in the country, scoring an averaged of 54.3 points per Northbet game as the top scoring offense in the nation. Working in Oregon’s favor beyond a perfect record is the rise to prominence of the PAC-10, and a high-flying attack that the BCS understands fans would want to see. The only big question mark is on the Ducks’ defense, which has done enough to stay undefeated so far, but could struggle as a long season progresses.

Other early candidates for the NCAAF betting BCS title game are Boise State, Oklahoma, and TCU, although it seems that every year the Broncos and TCU are considered contenders but are ultimately passed over based on their smaller conference status. The Sooners have emerged as the best team in the Big-12 after knocking off Texas in the Red River Rivalry game at the open of the month, and should be close to the top when the rankings are released. Although all five of the aforementioned teams deserve recognition, it will be Ohio State and Oregon that get the first shot at the top-two spots in the BCS rankings when they are released on Sunday, with schools waiting with the anticipation of how big this game could be for their programs.