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03/09/2010 - Philadelphia, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The 13th Annual Big Ten Conference Tournament gets underway on Thursday, March 11th from Conseco Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Indiana. Purdue is the defending tournament champion, having topped Ohio State in last year's title tilt, 65-61. It was the Boilermakers' first-ever Big Ten Tournament championship, leaving four teams (five if you count Michigan's vacated title in 1998) still to claim the crown.
The top five seeds in this year's event received byes through to the quarterfinals, leaving six teams to battle in the opening round on Thursday. Three teams finished with identical 14-4 league ledgers, as Purdue, Ohio State and Michigan State all had solid seasons and shared the Big Ten's regular- season title. The Buckeyes received the top seed in the tournament as they won the tie-breaker, and the Boilermakers and Spartans were given the second and third seeds, respectively.
The first game of the event pits eighth-seeded Michigan against ninth-seeded Iowa. The winner advances to play Ohio State on Friday afternoon. The Wolverines (14-16, 7-11) limp into the postseason having lost four of their last five games, and they have performed poorly outside of Ann Arbor all season, going just 3-8 in true road games and 4-10 when you factor in a 1-2 mark in neutral-site affairs. UM, which has a record of 5-10 all-time in the Big Ten tourney, boasts two double-digit scorers in the form of Manny Harris (17.7 ppg, 4.1 apg) and DeShawn Sims (16.9 ppg, 7.7 rpg), both All-Big Ten performers who finished the regular season ranked in the top-five on the league's scoring list. The team as a whole is netting just 64.4 ppg and shooting a mere 41.5 percent from the floor to rank 10th in the conference in both categories.
As for the Hawkeyes (10-21, 4-14), they had a season they would rather forget. Struggles at both ends of the court hurt the team, as it averages a league-low 60.8 ppg while surrendering 66.2 ppg to rank ninth. Additionally, Iowa ranks last in the Big Ten in turnover margin (-2.74) and doesn't have a player ranked in the top-15 on the league's scoring chart. Matt Gatens (12.4 ppg, 4.3 rpg, 3.3 apg) and Aaron Fuller (9.7 ppg, 5.9 rpg) both received All-Big Ten Honorable Mention honors, but neither is capable of carrying a team. The Hawkeyes, who have two Big Ten Tournament titles to their credit with the last coming in 2006, comes into this event having dropped five of their last six games and nine of their last 11 overall. They lost twice to Michigan during the regular season.
The second game of the opening round features a matchup between seventh-seeded Northwestern and 10th-seeded Indiana. The winner of that bout moves on to face Purdue in the quarterfinals. The Wildcats (19-12, 7-11), who are just 4-12 all-time in this event and have never won the championship, had a solid campaign, although they would have liked to have performed better in conference. Northwestern is a middle-of-the-pack club in terms of scoring (69.5 ppg), but the team does have a star in sophomore forward John Shurna (18.5 ppg, 6.4 rpg). A better than 46 percent shooter in each of his first two collegiate seasons, Shurna recently picked up All-Big Ten Second-Team honors. NU defends the three-point shot better than any team in the conference (.315), and the team ranks first in assist/turnover ratio (1.5) as well.
The Hoosiers (10-20, 4-14) had an absolutely dreadful season, and they carried an 11-game losing streak going into the regular-season finale against this same Northwestern squad. Fortunately for Indiana, it was able to post an 88-80 overtime victory over the Wildcats at home to stop the slide. The loss of Maurice Creek (knee injury) after a dozen games hurt the team as the talented rookie was averaging 16.4 ppg. Verdell Jones III (14.8 ppg) and Christian Watford (12.1 ppg) are the only active players netting double figures on a consistent basis, and the Hoosiers, who are 8-12 all-time in the Big Ten Tournament and have yet to don the crown, rank last in the league in assists (12.2 apg), assist/turnover margin (0.8) and scoring defense (71.4 ppg).
The final game of the opening round has sixth-seeded Minnesota trying to stave off the upset bid of 11th-seeded Penn State. The winner will move into the quarterfinals to take on Michigan State. The Golden Gophers (18-12, 9-9) enter the postseason having alternated wins and losses over their last four games. Tubby Smith's team, which took out Penn State twice during the regular season, is the best three-point shooting team in the Big Ten (.401), and as a result ranks second in the conference in scoring (73.4 ppg). The Gophers rank first in blocked shots (5.7 bpg) and assists (17.2 apg), and second in field goal percentage defense (.400). Lawrence Westbrook (12.9 ppg), Blake Hoffarber (10.7 ppg) and Damian Johnson (10.3 ppg) are all averaging double figures in scoring for the Gophers, who are seeking their first-ever Big Ten Tournament title.
The Nittany Lions (11-19, 3-15) have yet to raise the trophy in this event as well, and they have won just six of their previous 18 tourney tilts. Penn State put up fights against two of the teams that shared the league's regular- season title in its last two games, losing by a combined six points to Michigan State and Purdue. Prior to that, it had won three of four so the Lions are clearly playing better as they look to extend their season a bit longer. PSU boasts just one double-digit point producer on the roster, as Talor Battle (18.8 ppg, 5.4 rpg, 4.2 apg) leads the team in all three major statistical categories and ranks second in the conference in scoring. The team as a whole is producing just 65.3 ppg to rank ninth in the Big Ten, and its 64.3 ppg yield has it ranked seventh.
Fourth-seeded Wisconsin battles fifth-seeded Illinois in the quarterfinals on Friday, with the winner taking on the victor in the Michigan/Iowa vs. Ohio State game in the semis on Saturday. These same two teams met in the 2008 title tilt with UW prevailing in a 61-48 final to give the club its second Big Ten Tournament championship. The Badgers (23-7, 13-5), who have appeared in four of the last six title games, come into this postseason riding a four-game win streak, and they took care of this same Illinois squad in the regular- season finale in Champaign this past Sunday, 72-57. Although it has four double-digit scorers in the fold, UW's strength, as has been the case in virtually every year of coach Bo Ryan's tenure, is its defensive play as foes are scoring just 56.1 ppg -- the lowest yield in the league. The Badgers are the best free-throw shooting team in the Big Ten, led by Jason Bohannon's 86.6 percent effort. Trevon Hughes (15.4 ppg, 4.7 rpg) and Jon Leuer (14.9 ppg, 5.7 rpg) are the team's top two scorers, and they, along with Bohannon (12.0 ppg), were recently named All-Big Ten performers.
As for the Fighting Illini (18-13, 10-8), they had somewhat of a down year despite winning some big games along the way. Boasting four double-digit scorers led by All-Big Ten First Teamer Demetri McCamey (14.9 ppg, league- leading 6.8 apg), Illinois is averaging 70.5 ppg while allowing 66.5 ppg. The team is tops in the conference in field goal percentage defense (.399), while coming in second in defending the three-point shot (.316). In addition to McCamey, the Illini also have another award-winning player in the form of Big Ten Freshman of the Year D.J. Richardson (10.3 ppg, team-best 55 treys). Mike Tisdale (11.6 ppg, 6.1 rpg, 51 blocked shots) and Mike Davis (10.3 ppg, 8.8 rpg) are both productive guys, and give coach Bruce Weber a solid quartet on which to rely. Illinois has the best tournament record of any team in the Big Ten (22-10), and the Illini have two titles to their credit, the most recent coming in 2005.
Ohio State (24-7, 14-4) boasts the Big Ten Player of the Year in Evan Turner (19.5 ppg, 9.4 rpg, 5.8 apg), who despite missing five games with a broken bone in his back, dominated the competition almost every time he took the floor. Three other OSU players averaged double digits in scoring during the regular season, as Turner made those around him better. William Buford (14.3 ppg, 5.5 rpg) picked up All-Big Ten Third-Team honors, and coach Thad Matta was voted the league's Coach of the Year by the media. The Buckeyes, who have played in three of the last four league tourney title games, are the conference's top scoring team (73.5 ppg) and they rank second in scoring defense (60.4 ppg). At 49.4 percent from the field and 37.9 percent out on the perimeter, there isn't much this Ohio State team doesn't do well. OSU is 15-10 all-time in the Big Ten Tournament, winning two titles along the way (2002, 2007).
As mentioned in the opening, Purdue (26-4, 14-4) is the defending Big Ten Tournament champion, and comes into this year's event having won 12 of its last 13 games. Not surprising considering the overall talent coach Matt Painter (Big Ten Coach of the Year as voted by his peers) has assembled, but somewhat so when you factor in the fact that one of the team's best players, Robbie Hummel (15.7 ppg, 6.9 rpg, .902 free-throw percentage), suffered a serious knee injury a couple of weeks ago. Still, Hummel, along with teammate E'Twaun Moore (16.7 ppg, 86 assists, 42 steals), was named to the All-Big Ten First Team. Purdue owns the league's third-best scoring margin (+11.5), and is tops in turnover margin (+4.90).
Michigan State (24-7, 14-4) closed out the regular season by winning two straight and four of its last five games overall, giving coach Tom Izzo's club some momentum as it attempts to win its third Big Ten Tournament title, and its first since claiming back-to-back crowns in 1999-2000. MSU owns a 13-10 record in the event, but hasn't appeared in the championship game since 2000. Kalin Lucas (14.9 ppg, 4.0 apg) is an All-Big Ten First-Team selection, and he highlights a group of four players averaging double digits for the Spartans, who are putting up 73.1 ppg while permitting 63.9 ppg. Rebounding is Michigan State's strength as it owns a +9.3 rpg advantage -- far and away the largest margin in the conference.
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My fellow Americans, as tempting as it may be to don the coat and HD-ready tie in order to deliver this State of the Game address before the cameras, I know better. As Brad Paisley sings on his latest album, "I'm so much cooler online."
The ideas for this annual essay to kick off the MySportsbook.com college football betting preview flowed like frat-house beer, which is to say they were cheap and spilled all over the floor. The 2007 season will be better than 2007, if only because there will be more of it. A year ago, the NCAA Football Rules Committee made two rule changes in the interest of speeding up the game. These changes went over like Kobe burgers at a vegan banquet.
To its credit, the rules committee rectified its mistakes. This season the clock once again will start when a kickoff is received, rather than when it is kicked, and the clock will not start so quickly on a change of possession.
However, kickoffs have been moved back five yards, to the 30, which will force more returns. (Thus forcing the clock to run. Clever, huh?) Special teams might decide a lot of games, because coaching strategy will come straight out of another new Paisley lyric (almost), I'd like to check you for kicks.
Paisley sings with a twang, which is why he's appropriate for this college football season. The sun coming up over the 2007 college football betting lines season rises from the south. It's a Southern football world. As the Southeastern Conference begins its 75th year, the power shift is noticeable.
Eight-figure budgets, glamorous settings -- and that's just for the head coaches. The SEC has four coaches who have won national championships -- the greatest aggregation of coaching know-how since Eddie Robinson dined alone.
Steve Spurrier, Phil Fulmer, Nick Saban and Urban Meyer have given lie to the idea that a conference championship game is too daunting a hurdle on the road to No. 1. In six of the past 10 seasons, the national champions played and won a conference championship game -- three of the six (Tennessee, 1998; LSU, 2003; Florida, 2007) from the SEC.
There will be more of the same this season, if the preseason prognostications are correct. Six SEC teams are in the preseason coaches' poll, more than from any other conference. Only one conference has talent so deep that a team with 15 returning starters, including the best quarterback in the league, from an eight-win season is considered an afterthought. That may speak more to Kentucky's losing legacy than to the wisdom of the predictions, but there you have it. And seriously, keep an eye on Wildcats QB Andre' Woodson.
The reach of the South extends all the way to No. 1. Take a look at the team that is a consensus pick to win the national championship. The quarterback is from Shreveport. The best wide receiver is from Nashville. The top recruit is from New Orleans.
So what's the campus doing in Los Angeles? Hey, it is the University of Southern California.
USC lost two Pacific-10 Conference games a year ago, the first time that had happened in five seasons, and university officials withstood the urge to form blue-ribbon panels to unearth the cause of such a disaster. Instead, the Trojans gathered themselves and routed Michigan, 32-18, in the Rose Bowl.
USC's losses at Oregon State and at UCLA last year should have given pause to those who question the Pac-10's football prowess (such as, without naming names, L.M. from Baton Rouge). The league only got deeper this season; Dennis Erickson is taking over an Arizona State team that never quite got out of its own way under his predecessor, Dirk Koetter.
Erickson will resume his quest to become the first coach to win a national championship at two schools. Both he and Spurrier, now in his third season at South Carolina, returned to college football at schools with lower profiles than where they won their titles.
That isn't the case for the third coach looking for the national championship double. You may have missed this, but NASA reported the astronauts on the space shuttle last spring made contact with what can only be described as beings from another galaxy.
The leader of the aliens said, "We come in peace," followed by, "So how do you think Nick Saban will do at Alabama?"
The public is reacting to the new Crimson Tide coach as if he is the Barry Bonds of college football -- beloved at home for what his fans believe he is going to do, hated on the road for his intimidating attitude and for what his detractors believe he did (bend NCAA recruiting rules). I made this comparison from the dais at a charity dinner in Mobile, Ala., last month, and the chill that washed over me didn't come from the air conditioning.
Saban will attempt to prove that he can remake in Tuscaloosa what he built in Baton Rouge, much like another member of the national championship fraternity. Bobby Bowden is attempting to remake at Florida State what he built at, um, Florida State. Bowden rebuilt his offensive staff, bringing in four new coaches led by Saban's former offensive coordinator, Jimbo Fisher, to jump-start an offense that has been dead for a couple of years.
The Atlantic Coast Conference is expected to show new signs of life, too. That is said with no disrespect toward last season's champion, Wake Forest, which provided one of the best story lines of 2007. The Demon Deacons begin this season in their customary position, overshadowed by the Virginia Techs, Miamis and Florida States.
It's not that Wake will find it difficult to duplicate its success in 2007 as much as the feeling that success engendered. Surprising success is the narcotic of sport. It never feels quite so euphoric the next time. Big East commissioner Mike Tranghese has figured this out. He refers to 2007, when a league looked down upon by fans and foes alike took three undefeated teams into November, as "Cinderella."
The fairy tale may be over, but the Big East has four genuine Heisman Trophy candidates in Louisville quarterback Brian Brohm, West Virginia tailback Steve Slaton and quarterback Pat White, and Rutgers tailback Ray Rice. Rutgers, as did Wake Forest and, of course, Boise State, proved last season that the have-nots in college football occasionally have quite a lot.
The Broncos' rousing 43-42 overtime victory over Oklahoma in the Fiesta Bowl has raised the profile of all schools in conferences that don't get automatic BCS bids. This season, TCU and Hawaii are the preseason favorites to burst through the BCS doors and earn an at-large bid. The Warriors return 14 starters from an 11-3 team, including quarterback Colt Brennan.
Brennan not only broke the single-season record with 58 touchdown passes in 2007, but he also led Division I-A in passing efficiency (186.0). The senior is expected to contend for the Heisman Trophy, and neither his success nor the rise of his team should come as any surprise in the 2007 season.
After all, Hawaii is the southernmost team in the country.
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The NFL preseason is approaching. Time for players, coaches and teams to turn over a new leaf. General managers have hired some new coaches, while coaches have added some offensive and defensive assistants to try and improve things. Here’s a look at some changes to look for in the preseason.
New York Jets: The Jets were one of the surprise teams in the NFL last season, making the playoffs under hard-driving first-year coach Eric Mangini. Mangini rebuilt the offensive line with rookies D'Brickashaw Ferguson (the No. 4 pick in the 2007 Draft) and Ohio State center (the 29th pick in the first round). This season he upgraded the defense with rookie linebacker David Harris (Michigan) while the secondary picked up a much needed top-notch corner in Pitt CB Darrelle Revis (No. 14 overall).
The Jets have added balance to the offense for QB Chad Pennington with RB Thomas Jones, essentially stolen from the Bears. He will upgrade a New York ground game that was 20th in rushing with a weak 3.5 yards per carry. They have their first true feature back since Curtis Martin. Offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer prefers ball control, like his father Marty. In preseason, behind Pennington you’ll see second-year QB Kellen Clemens and mobile newcomer QB Marques Tuiasosopo.
Jacksonville Jaguars: The heat is on Jack Del Rio in Jacksonville as the Jaguars flopped last season despite a ton of talent. Keep in mind that under Del Rio the Jaguars have been outstanding in preseason with a 12-4 SU, 11-5 ATS August mark. online football betting Their defense is loaded, it’s the offense that has been stuck in first gear the last few years.
Enter a new offensive coordinator in Dirk Koetter, the former Boise State and Arizona State pass-happy coach. He will try and upgrade a passing game that ranked 24th last season. Del Rio has criticized wide receivers and Matt Jones this summer, both of whom have battled injuries. It will be interesting to watch the “new” Jaguars passing game in preseason.
Arizona Cardinals: Word out of Arizona is that the players like new coach Ken Whisenhunt, who was the Steelers offensive coordinator last year. We think of Arizona as all-passing because their running game has been awful of late because of a poor offensive line. However, keep an eye on the running game in preseason as they’ve made a lot of changes.
The new coach brings in Russ Grimm to coach the offensive line (Grimm did a marvelous job building the Steelers line). They took Penn State OT Levi Jones in the first round and signed two offensive linemen, Mike Gandy and Al Johnson, to provide depth. Reggie Wells was moved from right tackle to left guard and they want more speed out of the offensive line for pulling and traps, a Pittsburgh staple under Bill Cowher.
Atlanta Falcons: While all the attention has been focused on QB Mike Vick’s off-field problems, new coach Bobby Petrino is revamping the Falcons from an all-running team to a more balanced one. Petrino likes the experience of backup QB Joey Harrington and he has veteran backup Chris Redman, who used to play for Petrino at Louisville and knows his offenses better than anyone. Petrino wants Vick to be more of a pocket passer.
The addition of FB Ovie Mughelli is a sign Petrino wants a power rushing attack behind a physical fullback and newcomer WR Joe Horn should upgrade what was a below average wideout corps. Petrino is changing their old zone-blocking scheme to a more traditional in-line blocking scheme and the offensive line is bigger. Rookie DE Jamaal Anderson was grabbed in the first round and the secondary got younger with former Auburn cornerback David Irons, who the Falcons think was a steal as a sixth-round pick.
Cleveland Browns: The 2007 Browns look like a double-edged sword. There was the excitement of the offseason, trading for RB Jamel Lewis, upgrading the offensive line with Wisconsin’s Joe Thomas (the No. 2 pick in the draft) and free agent LG Eric Steinbach, then trading for Notre Dame QB Brady Quinn when he fell to No. 22. GM Phil Savage and head coach Romeo Crennel feel they have a talented, balanced offense with these new pieces, plus TE >Kellen Winslow and WR Braylon Edwards.
However, were these moves made in desperation? And were they foolish ones? The Browns gave up their 2008 first-round pick for Quinn and we all know QBs take time to develop. And even first-round QBs can be busts (Joey Harrington, Akili Smith). We also don’t know if the offensive line is that much improved (31st in rushing in 2007) and they did nothing to improve a defense that was awful against the run (142 yds pg allowed).
The Browns have a new offensive coordinator in Rob Chudzinski. This is a young offense and Quinn looked tentative, indecisive and inaccurate early in camp. Crennel will play Charlie Frye, Quinn and Derek Anderson in preseason. And there is a mixed bag for rookie QBs receiving significant starts: Tim Couch (14), Kerry Collins (13), Ben Roethlisberger (13), Vince Young (13), Joey Harrington (12), Matt Leinart (11) and Kyle Boller (nine). While all the focus will be on the Browns new-look offense, I’m more concerned with the defense.
Carolina Panthers: Coach Jon Fox loves the ground game, but Carolina has made some interesting changes for 2007. Fox fired offensive coordinator Dan Henning and brings in Jeff Davidson to run the offense. Davidson has brought in zone-blocking schemes to the Panther offense, a dramatic change for a system that's been built around a power-running style.
In zone-blocking, offensive linemen are responsible for blocking any defender who appears in their zone, instead of focusing on one defender. The Broncos and Falcons have had success with the system, which features smaller, more athletic offensive linemen and can create running lanes on the inside and outside. Keep an eye in preseason on how Carolina adjusts as it will take time to learn the system. Fox has been one of the top coaches in preseason, with a 15-5 SU, 12-7-1 ATS August record.
Dallas Cowboys: WR Terrell Owens is still here, but QB Drew Bledsoe and Bill Parcells are gone. New head coach Wade Phillips takes over, replacing Parcells. He ran the Chargers defense last season. Phillips was chosen by teary-eyed owner Jerry Jones partly because he is one of the best 3-4 coaches in football and the Cowboys have loaded up on players for that scheme.
Remember that Phillips was blitz-happy with the Chargers last season and early reports out of the Dallas camp have mentioned how the Cowboys have been blitzing a lot, a departure from Parcells. The theme of the 2007 Dallas defense appears to be one of attack.
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