College Football Handicapping Articles

2014 Odds to Win the SEC West Division for College Football with Picks and Predictions
by Trevor Whenham - 7/24/2014

The SEC West has won the last five SEC Championships — and they have just one fewer National Championship in the same time frame. When people say that the SEC dominates college football, what they actually mean is that the SEC West does. Really, it’s just the states of Alabama and Louisiana — only twice since the current divisions were formed in 1992 has at least one of Auburn, Alabama or LSU not at least shared a piece of the division crown.

2014 Odds to Win the SEC East Division for College Football with Picks and Predictions
by Trevor Whenham - 7/24/2014

When it comes to the SEC East, the bigger question isn’t which team is going to win the division but whether the division members can quit embarrassing themselves and actually be relevant in the greater SEC picture again. For too long the East has been the little sister of the SEC — fodder for whatever team wins the West in the SEC Championship Game. The West is again the stronger division, but there could be some cracks in their armor. So, can the East rise again? And which team will lead the way?

2014 Odds to Win the ACC Atlantic Division for College Football with Picks and Predictions
by Trevor Whenham - 7/24/2014

The teams in the ACC Atlantic operate in three clear tiers. Florida State is dominant. They are the defending national champs and could be just as good — or better — this year. They are the clear class of the group. Clemson and Louisville are on the second tier — not good enough to threaten Florida State at full strength but capable of picking up the pieces and capitalizing if the Seminoles stumble. Then there are the other four. None of those teams are particularly good, and a fourth-place finish would be reason to celebrate. Not a lot of real drama to be had here this year.

2014 Odds to Win the ACC Coastal Division for College Football with Picks and Predictions
by Trevor Whenham - 7/24/2014

The ACC Coastal is the poor cousin of the conference this year. The three best teams in the conference are in the Atlantic — Florida State and Clemson are obvious, and Louisville is probably third-best. What’s interesting, though, is that because Florida State is so clearly and significantly dominant, betting on the ACC Coastal is just a lot more attractive than the Atlantic.

2014 Baylor Bears Season Win Total NCAA Football Picks
by George Monroy - 7/24/2014

Baylor Bears coach Art Briles has the team riding a wave of momentum after leading the school to its most successful year in the program’s history. Last season’s accomplishments—winning the Big 12 and playing in the Fiesta Bowl—have Briles talking about a national title in 2015 and “swinging for the fences” instead of settling for “bunts” and “singles”.

2014 Odds to Win the SEC Conference for College Football with Picks and Predictions
by Trevor Whenham - 7/23/2014

For so many years it has been easy to pick the National Champion months in advance — just figure out who is going to win the SEC. Florida State finally changed that last year, and there is a growing murmur that perhaps the league isn’t as strong as it has been. So, will we see yet another SEC team on top when the playoffs roll around? Or is it time for some much-needed change? Which perennial contenders are vulnerable? Here are the odds to win the SEC for college football, with picks and predictions thrown in:

2014 Odds to Win the ACC Conference for College Football with Picks and Predictions
by Trevor Whenham - 7/23/2014

It’s another season of change for the ACC, with some new faces and one missing one. Louisville now takes the place of Maryland — an upgrade in every sense of the word. Notre Dame also joins the conference — sort of. They will play five games a year against ACC foes starting this year. They won’t be eligible of the ACC postseason (so don’t factor in our discussion here) but get access to all ACC bowl games beyond the playoffs.

2014 Odds to Win the Big 12 Conference for College Football with Picks and Predictions
by Trevor Whenham - 7/23/2014

The Big 12 was, not too long ago, a very mighty conference that was always nationally relevant. The last few years have not been particularly kind, though. They lost the conference realignment battle in a big way. The marquee program, Texas, has been a punchline. Oklahoma hasn’t done enough to fill in the gaps. Baylor has been a bright light but not yet on a truly national scale.

2014 Odds to Win the Pac-12 South Division for College Football with Picks and Predictions
by Trevor Whenham - 7/23/2014

The Pac-12 South is more interesting this year than it has been in the past. There are, at least according to the odds, three teams that have a chance to come out on top and represent the division in the Pac-12 Championship Game. Even better, whichever team wins will have a legitimate shot at winning the conference — not usually the case in the new Pac-12. UCLA, Arizona State and USC all face brutal schedules, but one team is going to come out on top.

2014 Odds to Win the Pac-12 North Division for College Football with Picks and Predictions
by Trevor Whenham - 7/23/2014

Between Oregon and Stanford, the Pac-12 North has been where all the action and excitement has been in the Pac-12 for several years now. The South is getting stronger again, with both USC and especially UCLA looking to threaten the northern supremacy. Whether they can do that or not, it remains clear that whichever team wins this Pac-12 North, which is far from an easy task, will be a major player in the conference.

T.J. Yeldon Odds to win the 2014 Heisman Trophy
by Dave Schwab - 7/23/2014

Alabama’s football team under head coach Nick Saban has not only become known has one of the top programs in the nation with three national titles since 2009, but it’s also known for producing some of the top running backs in the country.

Melvin Gordon Odds to win the 2014 Heisman Trophy
by Trevor Whenham - 7/23/2014

There was a time when it was almost a given that a running back would win the Heisman Trophy, which is awarded annually to college football’s most outstanding player. There was a stretch from 1973 to 1983 when running backs made a clean sweep of winning this award. Flash forward to recent times, and the Heisman is now dominated by quarterbacks, with the Heisman going to this position in 12 of the last 14 years.

2014 Odds to Win the Big Ten West Division for College Football with Picks and Predictions
by Trevor Whenham - 7/22/2014

The divisions in the Big Ten are exactly why I hate that conferences have gotten big enough, and greedy enough, to need divisions and championship games. These conferences, loosely based on geography, pay no real attention to competitive balance. You don’t have to pay attention very closely to know that historically Michigan and Ohio State have ruled this conference, with Michigan State and Wisconsin making noise from time to time. Of those four powers, only Wisconsin is in the West. Penn State, a once and potentially future force, is in the East, too.

2014 Odds to Win the Big Ten East Division for College Football with Picks and Predictions
by Trevor Whenham - 7/22/2014

The Big Ten East, at least in Big Ten terms, is loaded — though not as loaded as it could be. Thanks to the strangely unbalanced new divisions in the Big Ten, traditional conference powers Ohio State, Michigan and Michigan State are all in the same division. Penn State, another program clearly on the rise, would be another contender, yet thanks to their seemingly endless suspensions they aren’t eligible for the postseason again this year. There is serious imbalance in the divisions, so winning the Big Ten East will be almost as impressive as winning the whole conference.

South Carolina Gamecocks Odds to Win the 2015 College Football National Championship
by George Monroy - 7/22/2014

The South Carolina Gamecocks may not be the glamour program in the SEC, especially with Alabama, Auburn and LSU taking all the attention on a yearly basis. The school, however, has been one of the best programs in the nation over the last few years and is in the middle of its third consecutive 11-2 season. The trouble for South Carolina and coach Steve Spurrier is that the SEC typically has an undefeated or one-loss team by the time bowl season rolls around.

Freshmen that Can Win the Heisman Trophy
by Dave Schwab - 7/22/2014

The Heisman Trophy is awarded annually to college football’s most outstanding player. It dates all the way back to 1935, and over the years the list of winners include some of the most famous names at both the collegiate and pro level of the game. Until recently, the one thing that this prestigious list of winners did not include was a freshman as a winner.

2014 Odds to Win the Big Ten Conference for College Football with Picks and Predictions
by Trevor Whenham - 7/21/2014

College football is just around the corner. Finally. For the Big Ten this is a very important season. What was once the cream of the sport is now an afterthought. The last several years have been largely embarrassing, and it has been a long time since the conference has been truly relevant in January. Can that change this year? Or are we headed for more of the frustratingly-poor play that they have made an art of? Here are the 0dds to win the Big Ten for college football from Bovada with picks and predictions thrown in for good measure.

2014 Odds to Win the Pac-12 Conference for College Football with Picks and Predictions
by Trevor Whenham - 7/21/2014

Before even discussing anything else, the Pac-12 has a huge edge on the other conferences in the country -- its name actually reflects the number of teams in the conference. That’s not all the Pac-12 excels at, though. What was, not long ago, a completely dull conference featuring USC and no one else, is now one of the deeper and most compelling conferences in the country. Many of the programs are well-coached, the talent pool is deep, and highlight plays are a certainty every week. For handicappers, it’s a lot to decode.

USC Trojans Odds to Win the 2015 College Football National Championship
by George Monroy - 7/21/2014

The USC Trojans are looking for a return to the national stage after firing coach Lane Kiffin last year. The Trojans had a few decent seasons during Kiffin’s tenure but were never legitimate national title threats and continually underachieved for a program that recruits well and brings in talent on a yearly basis. Former USC quarterback coach Steve Sarkisian was tapped to fill the position and handle the pressure of returning one of college football’s glamour schools back to NCAA prominence.

Oklahoma Sooners Odds to Win the 2015 College Football National Championship
by George Monroy - 7/17/2014

The Oklahoma Sooners ended the 2013 season with a 14-point victory over Alabama in the Sugar Bowl that seems to have set the team up as a national powerhouse heading into 2014—the first year of the college football’s four-team championship tournament. Quarterback Trevor Knight will be returning to the team after growing into the position late in the year last season. Oklahoma’s biggest claim to a potential national title is its favorable Big 12 home schedule, which will see the team play its toughest matchups in its own stadium.