One of the bigger lines moves of the morning saw TCU pounded down from -6 to -4/-4.5 for its Friday matchup at Baylor. Another big move was Missouri hammered up from -16 to -20.5 against Miami (OH). Nearly all of the 7's on the Idaho/Bowling Green game were taken out with the Vandals now 6-point home chalk. And we are finally starting to see some offshore and Vegas sportsbooks post odds on the much anticipated Oregon/LSU matchup. 5Dimes was one of the few books accepting bets over the last week but CRIS, Pinnacle and Hilton joined the party earlier today. The Ducks reopened as a 4-point favorite.

5Dimes appears to be the only offshore sportsbook currently offering a line on the Oregon/LSU matchup. The game was pulled off the board last Tuesday when word broke that Oregon quarterback Darron Thomas may be suspended after it was discovered he was in the vehicle when cornerback Cliff Harris (suspended) was busted for driving nearly 120 mph. Oregon head coach Chip Kelly later said Thomas wouldn't be suspended but before the books could react, the media caught wind of the LSU bar brawl. Quarterback Jordan Jefferson was suspended earlier today leaving Jarrett Lee as the starter – Lee's been around the block with 2,643 yards, 18 TDs and 18 INTs in three years. LSU will also lose the services of wide receiver Russell Shepard (33 catches, 254 yards) who was ironically tied to the Willie Lyles recruiting fiasco.

Oregon originally opened as a -2/-2.5 point favorite which was bet down to -1 prior to Thomas' potential suspension. According to Sports Option's line history, 5Dimes reopened the game Oregon -1 on Thursday which was bet up to -2.5 before settling in at its current number of -2. With Jefferson officially out, we assume the remainder of the offshore world will pop up their numbers shortly. Despite all of the brew-ha-ha, it appears come game day the line won't be too far off of what the Golden Nugget released back in mid-June (Oregon -3) and what the books were offering prior to the arrests/suspensions. Stay tuned.

The LSU/Oregon game got a little more interesting following last night's bar fight involving Jordan Jefferson and other Tiger players. The Baton Rogue police department said that four people were sent to the hospital. The incident occurred in between 1:30-2 am at a local drinking establishment called – we’re not making this up – Shady’s. Oddsmakers and bettors didn’t have to scramble once word broke with the game currently off the board due to Oregon quarterback Darron Thomas’ own issues with the law.

There are no talent questions in Eugene these days. The Oregon Ducks played for the National Title last January, and despite coming up three points short in their matchup against Auburn, Chip Kelly’s squad returns more size, speed and overall ability than any other team in the North Division of the Pac-12. But NCAA sanctions are hanging over this team like a Sword of Damocles, waiting to fall at any time. If this team suffers severe retributions from the men in suits to the level that it affects the team’s collective psyche, the potential exists for an underachieving campaign.

From a pointspread perspective, the Ducks will need every bit of swagger they had last year to continue covering their inflated pointspreads. The betting markets rank Autzen Stadium as one of the five toughest venues for opposing teams in all of football. Oregon covered every pointspread at home last year, and they haven’t lost a single home Read more

A lot of mixed feelings about Maryland's hiring of offensive coordinator Gary Crowton. Throughout his 25+ years as a football coach, Crowton has earned the reputation as being an "offensive genius". That however wasn't the case during his tenure in Baton Rouge as LSU's biggest deficiency since winning the 2007 BCS National Championship was lack of offense. But that brings us to an interesting point. Crowton’s first season at LSU was 2007 which saw the Tigers average 35.4 ppg in SEC play. In his first year in Eugene, the Ducks went 10-2 and averaged nearly 35 ppg. In his first season as head coach of BYU, the Cougars averaged a whooping 44.1 ppg and finished 12-2. So in the first year of Crowton's last three gigs, his offenses without question lived up to the hype.

The problem though was the dramatic declines after those initial seasons. BYU fell from 43.1 ppg in Mountain West play to 16.1 ppg. Oregon averaged nearly a touchdown less per game in PAC-10 play in his second season. And LSU dropped from second in Read more

Arizona State
2010: 6-6 SU/10-2 ATS
Returning Starters: 8 off/7 def

The end result was a 6-6 record and no bowl opportunity (two FCS opponents), but it didn’t speak to the level that Arizona State played last season.  This was a team that played toe-to-toe with Wisconsin in Camp Randall Stadium before losing by a single point. They also outgained Oregon by over 200 yards in a spread covering loss.  At the time those performances looked strong but they are even more impressive when one considers what the Badgers and Ducks were able to eventually accomplish. Overall, despite the .500 record, the Sun Devils were outgained by 100-plus yards only twice last season.

With 15 starters back in 2011, I project even more improvement across the board.  Last season, ASU didn’t start many seniors which provides this year’s edition with immense game experience.  This will be the second season of highly respected offensive coordinator Noel Mazzone’s system Read more