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B1G Betting Action: New Year’s Edition
Published:
In the conference’s role as the after-party headlining act for the college football playoff, the B1G has five teams competing on New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day.
Unlike regular season games with the fast-paced consistency of playing every other week and perhaps looking past some opponents, it’s fair to put more of an emphasis on the coaches in these games and who you feel will do a better job of getting their team up to the challenge.
And, as we cross the thresholds to different points in our lives in regards to New Year’s parties, a gathering once measured on its alcohol and appetizers is now valued for how far away it ends before midnight, we still need something to stave off the pending doom of resolutions or satiate our unrest of a lifestyle choice deemed more important because of the start of a new calendar year.
Here is the New Year’s Edition of B1G Action.
(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.
San Francisco Bowl
Michigan State +2.5 vs. Oregon o/u 48
The play: Oregon
Illogical reasoning: If Oregon doesn’t get a return bump from the news that quarterback Justin Herbert decided to come back for his senior season, then what warrants one? Maybe Michigan State gambles a little more on offense in the game to build some goodwill going into next season, but I can’t see any sort of creativity being enough to keep up with the Ducks. Michigan State’s Mark Dantonio comes in with a better bowl record ATS than Oregon’s Mario Cristobal, but after the torture of enduring Michigan State this season I can’t take the Spartans.
Outback Bowl
Iowa +7 vs. Mississippi State o/u 42.5
The play: Mississippi State
Illogical reasoning: Iowa’s Kirk Ferentz is 6-5 ATS going into the Outback Bowl against newcomer Joe Moorhead from Mississippi State. Though Moorhead’s 4-4 SEC record seems a little lacking, the time off to prepare for Iowa is more than enough to get the Bulldogs the win. Take into account Iowa tight end Noah Fant’s decision to skip the game for the NFL Draft and Mississippi State coming into the game trailing only Michigan and Miami in total defense and it’s difficult to see Iowa putting any sort of scoring drives together even with the seven-point bump.
Rose Bowl
Washington +7 vs. Ohio State o/u 57.5
The play: Ohio State
Illogical reasoning: The problem with the college football playoff committee leaving Ohio State out of the field of four is the Rose Bowl might turn into the Urban Meyer retirement party. Let’s hope announcers Chris Fowler and Kirk Herbstreit temper the gold watch talk or at the very least balance it out with prognostications of Ryan Day’s tenure in Columbus. Whew, I feel better. Onto football.
Ohio State, for all their warts accompanying a one-loss team, maintains a level of offensive explosiveness that Washington will struggle to temper. I expect Meyer to showcase any sort of trickery and silliness left in his playbook. He’s prided himself on his team’s ability to score a touchdown on special teams, so expect the Buckeyes to bring the house on punt blocks. Take into account the 9-3 record ATS Meyer’s compiled in his head coaching gigs and it’s tough to take the Huskies.
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.