NCAA Football Betting 2007 - Believe
In The Buckeyes
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Ohio
State watched
Ted Ginn Jr. run a kickoff back for a touchdown
in last year’s National
Title game. They then watched Florida outrun
them to the national title itself. After losing
Troy Smith, Anthony Gonzalez, Ted Ginn Jr. and
Antonio Pittman, can the Buckeyes bounce back
in this coming 2007 season?
You better believe they can.
The AP rankings dropped
them to twelfth to start out the season, and
that is where they deserve to be. Sure they
lost some superstars but, in a program like
Ohio State’s stars-of-yesterday
are replaced by stars-in-the-making. A championship
program doesn’t simply lose its winning
attitude because of one game in one season.
Running-back Chris Wells is set to become a
household name behind a monstrous offense line.
Alex Boone and Kirk Barton are two of the best
offensive tackles in football, and offensive
guard Steve Rehring made a vaulted jump in skill
level last year. Quarterback Todd Boeckman is
expected to win the starting job. While he is
no Troy Smith, he will be far better then most
experts are projecting.
The Buckeyes plan
to return to “Tressel-ball”,
which is based on protecting the football, executing
simple and effective offensive plays and letting
the defense shine. A lack of focus was the team’s
biggest flaw last year and the energetic Gators
were able to expose this en route to a national
title last season. Tressel and the boys are guaranteed
to play with an “eyes on us” attitude
and a massive chip on their shoulders.
Junior James Laurinaitis is a tackling machine
and will form a formidable linebacking corps
with Marcus Freeman. They are easily two of the
best football players on the team and will have
their hands full as the inexperienced front four
develop chemistry and confidence as the season
goes on. Defensive ends Vernon Gholston and Lawrence
Wilson will have to do everything they can to
hold that front four together as teams try, and
fail, to run on Ohio State.
The secondary is the
highlight of the Buckeyes’ defense.
Kelin Johnson is a stud at safety and he is complimented
by two rough and tumble corners in Malcolm Jenkins
and Donald Washington. Both hit like trucks,
but Jenkins is noted as the most physical corner
in the country. These corners will be rattling
the nerves and bones of receivers all season
long, making Ohio State a difficult team to pass
against.
The Buckeyes are an attractive +2000 to win
the BCS Championship game in the BetUS.com sportsbook
this season. Last season, the Buckeyes rewarded
the large majority of their betting investors
by going 9-4 ATS with a solid 5-0-1 ATS record
at home. This year will most likely be much tighter.
They do not have the explosive offense to outscore
their opponents 118-34 in the first quarter like
they did last season.
That being said, wide receivers Brian Robiskie
and Ray Small deserve some credit. Boeckman will
be called on to make safe, short passes and Robiskie
and Small have the same game-breaking ability
to turn those small throws into big gains. They
have much to prove but Robiskie definitely showed
promise last season.
Ray Small is just
that – small. At 6-foot-0
and 175 pounds, he has the small build and blinding
speed to be a game changing return man in the
mold of Ginn Jr., but he has little experience
at the position, and will have to show that he
can seriously play bigger then his small frame
to make special teams as dangerous as it has
been for years with the Buckeyes.
Dropping to twelfth
isn’t a direct smack
in the teeth for the Buckeyes. They lost a bevy
of personnel, who are being replaced by some
new names who have not had the chance to showcase
their abilities on the national stage. With coach
Jim Tressel manning the helm, Ohio State will
be quick to remember that they are a championship
program. With so many juniors ready to start,
this team is better poised for success in the
2008 season, but do not be surprised to see them
in one of the major bowls by season’s end.
With NCAA football just around the corner, the
BetUS sportsbook already has tons of college
football Futures betting available for those
of us who can't wait. Bet on the Heisman winner,
Conference and Divisional winners and, of course,
the 2008 BCS National Championship winner. Bet
NCAA Football Futures in our sportsbook today
in the Future / props section!
Posted on 8/23/2007 6:19:18 PM
NCAA Football Betting 2007 - Believe In These Buckeyes
By Tim Furious
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