The beauty of college football is that you never
know what one Saturday to the next will bring. Two weeks ago Miami goes
into Virginia Tech's house and outplays them in every aspect of the
game. As expected, the "Don't you know who I am?" analysts on ESPN start trying to find a way to get the
Hurricanes into the national title game if USC or Texas should happen
to falter. So as the story goes, last week, on national TV, Larry
Coker's boys go out and lay an egg in the hallowed ground of the Orange Bowl. You just never know. And
while I'm at it, there's something I have to get off of my chest. Can
the Miami fans please go to the games? You have a year in, year out,
top10 team who's won
five national championships and there are thousands of empty seats on a Saturday night. You should be ashamed of yourselves.For those of you who read last week's column, you may be curious as to
my guy next door's reaction to finally having a winner under his belt.
Yes, the loyalists of this column padded their wallets when Oklahoma +
7 ½ covered the number in defeat, 23-21 at Texas Tech. For those of you who had the
walnuts to bet the Sooners on the field, you get credit in my book. You
got robbed. The gambling gods owe you one. So as a result of his
winner, on Monday morning, Lucky and Son's oil truck made a delivery to
Arnold's house next door. You all should have seen the excitement in
his eyes last Saturday as Fox Sports was wrapping up its telecast of
that game. Arnold, a 52 year old grown man, was jumping up and down as his belt kept falling below his Bud filled gut.
I will admit, I really felt happy for him, he needed that. I may have
created a monster though. As I was pulling into my driveway yesterday,
I saw an Oklahoma (OU) sticker in his window next to the Army pennant.
Oh Arnold!
This time of year we all have to do things that we just HAVE to do.
Let's face it, anyone reading this article would rather sit in a
recliner (the one with the springs wearing out) over these next few
days and watch the games that impact our finances. But we can't. The ladies in our lives are in our
ears all the way to the car as we head out to visit her aunt Bertha,
and eat her dry turkey. Well folks, that isn't the only thing we HAVE
to do this weekend.
Our game of the week is a little out of the ordinary for me. This week
we're going to the most bewildering grounds in college football.
Bermuda has its triangle and Hawaii has its rainbows. There have been
some unexplainable football games out there over the years, and it just
makes you scratch your head. I think what makes things so puzzling for
us is that WE never see the games. We know when there's a game out
there, and c'mon, we definitely know the line. The problem is, if we
don't get lucky and catch the "Bottom Line" at just the right time,
we're clueless. Timmy Chang graduated from Hawaii as the NCAA'S all
time passing leader. Be honest, how many times did you see him play?
Regardless, there's a game out there on Friday, it's on TV, and oh yes,
there's a line. I'm not a big fan of traveling, but this three hour
tour will be well worth the trip. There are all sorts of fixing around
this bird.
For his regular season swan song, Barry Alvarez brings his Wisconsin
Badgers to the island of coconuts and belly dancers as a 6 ½ point
favorite. That city in Nevada has tagged a total of 66 on this game.
Wisconsin, losers of their last two games, will be the third Big 10
team to travel to Hawaii, as a favorite, in the last 13 months. What
happened to the other two? Both Northwestern and Michigan St. lost the game outright. A month ago, Fresno St. took their
air raid attack to Hawaii as 13 point favorites. They covered 27-13,
but hey, that was a 7 point game with 2:00 left. Hawaii fought them
till the end, and we all saw what Fresno St. almost pulled off last
week. Chew on this drumstick. In seven years under June Jones, the
Rainbows are 10-2 against the spread as non conference home dogs. Woof!
Woof! Cappers. As I said earlier, this weekend there's things we just
have to do. Taking Hawaii +6 ½ at home is one of them.
Let that fat guy in the Hula skirt on the sideline, bang on those Bongo Drums all night long.
Now for dessert. There's another play to be made in this game. That
total of 66 has whipped cream all over it. Since 2003, 18 of the 21
Hawaii home games have had at least 60 points scored in them, including
4 of 5 this year. Do the math, that's 85%. Folks, I don't care if
you're betting football or your daughter's softball games, numbers like
that can't be ignored.
Wisconsin's Brian Calhoun has rushed for over 1,200 yards, including
seven 100 yard games. And oh ya, he leads the nation in touchdowns with
20. When the green and black have the ball, as usual, it's bombs away.
Davone Bess might be the best WR you haven't heard of. He's caught 81 balls for over 1,000
yards and 12 endzoners himself. Like Texas Tech, doesn't it seem as
though Hawaii always has a quarterback who just chucks the ball around
like its recess on a school yard? This year is no different. Colt
Brennan has passed for 3,500 yards and 27 T.D. Second only to who? Yup,
Cody Hodges. Brennan has thrown for over 300 yards in his last 5 games.
It is no stretch of the imagination to think there could be 1,000 yards
of total offense in this game.
Remember those other two Big 10 contests played at the end of last
season that I mentioned? The Michigan St. game ended with 79 points on
the scoreboard and the Northwestern game finished with 90. I know we
all get scared of going to the wishing well one too many times, but this one is just sitting on
the table waiting to get carved up. I've just got to keep Arnold away
from the knife.
There are some games we bet because we like them. This game we'll bet
because we HAVE to. So when you're finally done flashing that fake
smile to all of those relatives you see twice a year, get into that old
chair and watch your bankroll run up and down the field. Who knows,
maybe Arnold will be in Hawaii next week. So tell the guy next door,
and hey, empty pumpkin pie tins make great Bongo Drums!
