August 28, 2008
USC fell short of the BCS title game thanks to an upset to lowly Stanford, while Ohio State have been trounced in the past two BCS title games by teams from the SEC (Florida and LSU), but that has not stopped oddsmakers from putting the Trojans and Buckeyes at the top of the NCAA football odds heap. However, they will face stiff competition from the likes of Oklahoma and preseason No.1 Georgia.
The Trojans have a tough schedule, playing in the Pac-10, but their most difficult opponents, Ohio State and Arizona State, visit the Rose Bowl. USC received a boost when it was announced that injured quarterback Mark Sanchez would be ready for the start of the season, but the Trojans still have an offensive line with four new starters. Look for the defense, which welcomes back seven starters led by linebacker Rey Maualuga, to carry the team early in the season as USC was second only to Ohio State in total defense last season. USC has NCAA football odds of +350.
The Buckeyes are rated at +400, and they are an experienced bunch with 20 returning starters, including nine from last year’s defense which was the best in the nation. Running back Chris Wells is a legitimate Heisman candidate, and a lot of people will also be interested to see how highly-touted freshman quarterback Terrelle Pryor fits into the Buckeyes’ gameplan. Their trip to USC on Septemer 13th will have huge national implications.
Oklahoma comes in at at +500, and a midseason back-to-back against Texas and Kansas will show them if they are truly the class of the Big 12. Quarterback Sam Bradford returns from a brilliant freshman with seven other starters, but with only five starters back on defense, the Sooners could be in line for some shootouts.
Georgia may have the toughest schedule in the country, but that comes with playing in the brutal SEC. The Bulldogs go to South Carolina and Arizona in the first four weeks of the season, then at LSU, Florida and at Auburn, just to name a few. It is a good thing they have a Heisman candidate in sophomore running back Knowshon Moreno, a confident quarterback in Matt Stafford and nine returning starters on defense. It could be smart to grab the Bulldogs at NCAA football odds of +500.
For more props and odds, visit BetOnline.com. BetOnline.com is a top rated online sportsbook providing reliable sports betting to millions of online betting customers. BetOnline.com also offers MLB football betting, live MLB betting lines, props and futures.
