* I’m struggling in this column, so I wouldn’t call these best bets

Last Week: 2-2
Season: 13-19

Kansas -1.5 over Texas Tech: Okay, so Tech is undefeated. But we’ve seen this before. This is a bit of a sandwich game for the Red Raiders, who are coming off a rivalry win at A&M and getting ready to host Texas next week. But they better not sleep on Kansas, who always come to play at home. Texas Tech’s pass defense is in the 100s, which sets up nicely for Todd Reesing. Look for Tech to get exposed…again.

Colorado State -9 over San Diego State: The “bet against the Aztecs” train rolls on week after week. SDSU is coming off arguably the worst performance in the program’s history, losing 70-7 to an average (at best) New Mexico team. Chuck Long has been given a vote of confidence by the athletic department, but has the team quit on him?

Ohio State +2 over Penn State: Can you remember the last time the Buckeyes weren’t favored at the Horseshoe? Me neither. The Buckeyes showed they’re still a force to be reckoned with last week, destroying Michigan State in East Lansing. I’d love to see Penn State win, but I think the Buckeyes take this one in a defensive battle. 

Illinois -3 over Wisconsin: What happened to Wisconsin? A team pegged as a co-favorite to win the Big Ten is sitting at 0-4 in conference play so far this year. Their quarterback play has sucked and even the once-reliable defense is lousy. Juice Williams and Co. torched this defense last year, I expect something similar to happen this time around.

*Until I get back to winning weekends, I’m giving up the “Best Bets” title. 

Last Week: 1-3
Overall: 11-17

Ohio State -3 over Michigan State: I hate the Big Ten and therefore, I’m not a fan of Ohio State. But while the Buckeyes struggle against athletic competition from superior conferences, their grind-it-out style is right at home in the Big Ten. It comes down to stopping MSU running back and Heisman candidate Javon Ringer, who has already surpassed 1,000 yards. I think they’re up to the challenge.

Colorado -3.5 over Kansas State: Colorado got a tough draw to open conference play by facing Texas and Kansas, but I still think they’re an up-and-coming team. As for Kansas State, they’ve done nothing to impress me. Beating Texas A&M isn’t an accomplishment. In fact, it’s one of the easiest things to do in D-1 athletics. 

Texas Tech -21 over Texas A&M. Speaking of those Texas A&M Aggies, have you seen them play this year? It’s not pretty. Tech had a scare last weekend against Nebraska, so I don’t see them coming out flat again. A&M has allowed 100 points over their last two games…and now Michael Crabtree comes into town. See ya. 

New Mexico -14 over San Diego State. The good news for Chuck Long’s Aztecs is quarterback Ryan Lindley might be back under center. The bad news? Everything else. The Aztecs haven’t beaten New Mexico in seven years and they’ve only covered one time in that span. Against a defensive line absolutely destroyed by injuries, New Mexico will wear down SDSU with their effective running game.

* May not be entirely accurate
Last Week: 1-3
Overall: 10-14

Arizona -6.5 over Stanford: With the exception of a loss to New Mexico, Mike Stoops’ team has been pretty solid this year. They can throw the ball all over the field, which will come in handy against a lousy Stanford secondary that allows over 270 passing yards a game. Zona is 2-0 in conference play and are set up for a big game against 2-0 Cal this week. But they can’t overlook the Cardinal.

Georgia -12.5 over Tennessee: The Vols are in disarray. They’re 2-3 and now have to head between the hedges to take on a Georgia team itching to play again after losing to Alabama. For me, this matchup comes down to the revenge factor. Remember when Tennessee steamrolled the Dawgs at Neyland Stadium last year, eventually costing Georgia a spot in the BCS National Championship? I don’t think they’ve forgotten either. Look for Georgia to get back on track here.

Air Force -10 over San Diego State: In last year’s matchup between these two teams, Air Force racked up a ridiculous 569 rushing yards against the Aztecs. While I don’t look for that to happen this time around, I do like AFA coming off a loss to Navy. SDSU struggles with the option game, as was made evident by their loss to FCS Cal Poly earlier this year. Promising quarterback Ryan Lindley will likely be out of this one, so look for Drew Westling, who went 6-17 versus TCU, to get the start.  

Vandy -2.5 over Mississippi State: I wanted to go the other way on this game really bad, but I’m not going to. This has all the makings for a Vandy letdown: After beating Auburn and before facing Georgia. MSU is 1-4, but have played tough against both Auburn and Georgia this year. Nevertheless, I see the Commodores somehow getting out of here with a win. It’s not going to be pretty, but I can’t pick against them until they don’t cover a spread. 

Last Week: I don’t want to talk about it
Season: 9-11

Ole Miss -2.5 over South Carolina: While this could be a letdown game for the Rebels after knocking off Florida, I don’t see that happening. The fact remains that this is a very good Ole Miss team. They were unlucky to lose to a good Vandy team and battled Wake Forest on the road a couple weeks ago. South Carolina hasn’t covered a spread since their opener against NC State, so I don’t see Ole Miss slipping up here.

UCONN +7 over North Carolina: I’ve ridden UCONN a couple times this year and they haven’t let me down. While I credit UNC for their gutsy comeback win against Miami, lets not forget the Huskies winning at Louisville last week to remain undefeated. Sure, they lost quarterback Tyler Lorenzen (1 TD, 6 INT) to a foot injury, but the nation’s leading rusher Donald Brown is still standing. That makes UCONN dangerous. 

Notre Dame -6.5 over Stanford: I think the jury is still out on what kind of team Charlie Weis has at Notre Dame this year. Hanging 35+ in their last two home games could indicate that this young offense is starting to come together. The Irish have beat Stanford six consecutive times. Look for them to add another win to that total. 

Alabama -15.5 over Kentucky: The undefeated Kentucky Wildcats finally get to face a real football team this week after smacking around three straight cupcakes. All Bama has done is score 40+ points the last three weeks and send a feeling of dread through the SEC. Yes, folks, Nick Saban has Bama back on the map.

Last Week: 1-3 (FAIL)
Overall: 9-7

USC -14 1st half over Oregon State: I usually don’t put exotics into my bets, but I’m a big fan of this line. It’s simple…two touchdowns. We’re not messing around with USC needing 14.5 or 15, so it seems like a pretty safe bet. USC remembers their last trip to Corvallis and while home teams have a great record of covering on Thursday night, I can’t go against the Trojans. They’re coming off a bye, so it’s highly unlikely they have an emotional letdown after smacking Ohio State. The game spread is big, but this halftime line seems very, very reasonable.

Fresno State -6.5 over UCLA: Since the Bruins embarrassed me by upsetting Tennesee, they’ve been one of the worst teams in the country. After getting dismantled by BYU, they lost 31-10 at home to Arizona in a game that was even more lopsided than that. All the Bruins could muster was a fumble recovery for a touchdown. Look for UCLA’s defense to be put into impossible positions because of their anemic offense. Fresno rolls.

Miami -7.5 over UNC: It’s early, but the giant at Miami is slowly but surely rising back to form. The U rolled Texas A&M 41-23 last weekend, but the Aggies got a couple of garbage time touchdowns to make it look closer than it really was. Now they come home to kick off ACC play against North Carolina, who went from “dangerous” to “awful” once quarterback TJ Yates went down with an injury. Look for them to rattle whichever backup quarterback the Tar Heels roll out there.

LSU -24 over Mississippi State: I very rarely touch games with point spreads this big, but I fail to see how Sylvester Croom’s team can come close to hanging with the Bayou Bengals. How is MSU going to score here? They dropped 2 points on Auburn and 7 on Georgia Tech. Assuming they won’t score more than 10 points, LSU will need 34 points to cover. I like my chances.

Last Week: 2-2
Overall: 8-4

Miami -3 over Texas A&M: Last year, a ranked Aggies team came into the Orange Bowl overconfident and left with their tails between their legs after losing 34-17. Fast forward a year and the Aggies look like garbage, barely squeaking by New Mexico and losing at home to Arkansas State. Miami’s athleticism and running game should be too much for the Aggies here. Through two games, A&M is averaging over 230 rushing yards allowed. 

Connecticut -11 over Baylor (Friday): A potential look-ahead spot for UConn, who get Louisville next week to kick off their Big East schedule. It shouldn’t matter though. After squeaking by Temple in week one, the Huskies thrashed Virginia, a team that’s pretty comparable to Baylor. Sure, Baylor rolled Washington State and ran for over 350 yards against them. But they won’t do that this week; UConn is surrendering under 70 rushing yards a game thus far in ‘08. 

Ohio State -20.5 over Troy: I know Beanie Wells isn’t playing and I know there’s still doubt about who will be under center for the Buckeyes. But come on, it’s three touchdowns against Troy. This is Ohio State, they make their living on scrub teams like this. Look for a pissed off Buckeyes team to “get back on track.” 

Ole Miss -7 over Vandy: Even though Vandy is 3-0 this year, I’m a big fan of what former Texas quarterback Jevan Snead and the Rebels are doing. They pushed Wake Forest to the brink of defeat on the road, moving the ball at will against a very good defense. I’m playing this bet based more on line movements. There’s lots of money coming in on Vandy because of their undefeated record, but the spread is moving in the other direction.