I lost a Big Ticket wager backing the Michigan Wolverines this past weekend, a particularly frustrating defeat. Here’s a quote from my write-up of that game:
 
“The spot stinks for Penn State; they aren’t likely to run up the score and Michigan doesn’t lose by these types of margins very often.  Michigan has a solid defense; Penn State’s offense was held in check at Purdue two weeks ago and could be slowed down again here.  Michigan has dominated this series, making this pointspread seem even more bizarre… From a recent history’ perspective and a value perspective, this pointspread is way out of whack.  But an ESPN game featuring one team that lost to Toledo at home last week facing an opponent that hammered Wisconsin 48-7 on national TV last Saturday Night forces the linesmakers into this spread range, which gets us into Big Ticket status here.”
 
The Wolverines played their best football of the season in the first 20 minutes of the game, with QB Steven Threet engineering three scoring drives on Michigan’s first three possessions.  Michigan lead 17-7 as 24.5-point underdogs as the Nittany Lions got the ball back with less than two minutes to play in the second quarter.  To be perfectly honest, I felt pretty darn good about my wager at that point in time.
 
The Wolverines second half meltdown was fairly typical of their performances this season.  Rich Rodriguez played QB shuffle, bringing Nick Sheridan off the bench to disastrous results – a safety on his first drive, a three-and-out on his second.  Michigan’s defense collapsed allowing five consecutive scoring drives to open the second half.  Still, with just over two minutes remaining and Penn State needing only a single first down to take a knee and end the game, Michigan was still covering the inflated pointspread.
 
We all know what happened next.  On third-and-long, not wanting to run up the score, the Nittany Lions called a simple screen pass. Eighty yards later, Stephfon Green was in the end zone, the pointspread cover was gone, and I was not a happy camper.
 
This is not a bad beat story; it’s a story about Michigan.  On the radio and in the posting forum, I’ve been lightly mocked as a ‘homer’, alluding to my undergraduate degree from my time in Ann Arbor.  That much is true – I did graduate from Michigan, with a crappy little diploma on the bookshelf in my office to prove it.  And yes, I did have some good times in Ann Arbor, both in the seven years that it took me to earn my degree and in the years thereafter as I slowly morphed from an earnest, idealistic student into a hungry, savvy sports bettor.
 
There was a time that I truly loved Michigan sports.  Gray Grant, Roy Tarpley, Glen Rice, Rumeal Robinson, Loy Vaught, Chris Webber, Juwan Howard, Jalen Rose, Jimmy King, Ray Jackson – many of  the basketball stars in Ann Arbor became household names for serious hoops fans at the next level.  It was a similar story in football: Jim Harbaugh, Desmond Howard, Tim Biakabatuka, Ty Wheatley, Elvis Grbac, Todd Collins, Derrick Alexander, Brian Griese.
 
I’m a frontrunner when it comes to my Michigan fan-hood.  I’ve experienced the true joy that comes as a fan when your team wins it all.  Michigan won a national title in basketball and a national title in football while I was in town.  I loved those teams.  I was a fan.  I relish those championship memories.
 
But that was then; a long, long time ago.
 
Check back tomorrow for Part II...

For more college football betting analysis by Teddy Covers, go to www.sportsmemo.com.