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Chock full of moxie and too much verve for an everyday situation, I ventured into last week and picked three B1G games against the spread, or ATS for us in the business (or the acronym obsessed) without picking the Over in any action.
The 1-2 record proved I strayed from what brought me within a sniff of an even record. No more skullduggery or poor attempts at ingenuity. Time to assume the role of the Overtaker, the antonymic version of the WWE superstar with a go-out wardrobe of dri-fit gym shorts, crewneck sweatshirt, and Jordan slides with anklets. Comfort over the impression of compos mentis.
Two Over plays and one play ATS (now we’re all in the know. Secret handshake to follow on the condition there’s hand sanitizer) this week. The climb to mediocrity begins with a 2-1 record.
(All lines taken from mybookie.ag)
Author’s note: Lines may have shifted from when I pulled the number for the column. Lighten up gang.
Purdue vs. Illinois +10.5 o/u 63
The Play: Over
Illogical Reasoning: I’ve been burned by picking the Purdue game to hit the Over once, but the Boilermakers scored 30 or more points in three of their five games this year. Expect some quick scores and dynamic offense from wide receiver Rondale Moore, a player who makes two to three plays each game that lead to a string of expletives spewed in wonderment as to how he maneuvered down field.
Both teams showed a remarkable ability to give up lots of yards on defense, and with favorable weather conditions, expect some major points as Purdue continues to shake off the stench of their bad start and Illinois tries to convince the world of college football they can win games or at least stay competitive against teams outside of Piscataway, N.J.
Wisconsin vs. Michigan -8.5 o/u 47.5
The Play: Over
Illogical Reasoning: Wisconsin has the fifth highest time of possession in the nation behind option-heavy teams like Army and Air Force. The ability to grind out drives behind a talented offensive line and running back Jonathan Taylor will allow them to convert the enviable down and distance of third-and-short. Expect a few of those drives to result in touchdowns.
I maintain my criticism towards the Commission of Offensive Decision Makers Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh cobbled together to form a game plan, but the faults in the Wisconsin defense, exposed by a conference worst five sacks and four interceptions means Michigan can get a little chancier with their play calls, even though Harbaugh finds the same sort of inherent beauty from a well-executed halfback run off tackle as I do. The Badgers’ inability to create turnovers might just give the Commision enough confidence to take some shots downfield. In a rivalry marked by offensive struggles, there might be a little more offensive explosiveness (it’s all relative) from the two teams than we’ve seen in the past.
Minnesota vs. Ohio State -30 o/u 59.5
The Play: Ohio State
Illogical Reasoning: Ohio State showed the ills of the clash with Penn State with a room temperature performance against Indiana last week, if scoring 49 points results in a room temperature performance. When the number is concerned and the Buckeyes fail to cover, it is.
Ready to embark on the second part of a four game stretch against inferior talent, the Buckeyes are excused for their previous performance. A second consecutive week at home should provide them with the proper environment against a Minnesota team that will need to wait at least one more week to cover the number in a conference game.
Expect Ohio State to shake themselves from the doldrums of last week’s sleep-walking against Indiana to cover the 30 points.
Overall record: 8-10
Main event status: The sub-500 week keeps me in the middle of the card in rather uninspired performances against the slow-footed Conquistador while I avoid the managerial advances of Mr. Fuji. Time to climb the card. The Overtaker has returned.
Nick is a writer for saturdaytradition.com. Your overuse of GIFs forced him away from Twitter. He removed himself from consideration in the Vanderbilt heading coaching search.