NCAA Football Preview - Idaho Vandals

NCAA Football Betting Lines

08/22/2007 - Philadelphia, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - 2006 SEASON IN REVIEW: The resignation of former head coach Nick Holt signaled a new era in Idaho football that had a familiar ring to it when the Vandals took the field for the 2006 campaign. Dennis Erickson, who won national championships with the Miami Hurricanes and was also the top man in Moscow between 1982-85, was brought back to the Idaho family in hopes of resurrecting the program after having his fill at the pro level in two years with the San Francisco 49ers. Erickson's arrival caused excitement all across the Western Athletic Conference because it was giving the league an added visibility, although it would be short-lived in the end. Of the team's first five games in 2006, four were on the road and against two of Erickson's former programs in Washington State and Oregon State. While those meetings may have created an interesting storyline, the result was less than desirable for the Vandals, who fell by a combined 94-10 score to the pair of Pac-10 squads. However, as rough as the non-conference slate was for the Vandals on paper, the team still found itself with a 4-3 record after seven games, thanks to a 3-0 start to the WAC schedule against the likes of Utah State, New Mexico State and Louisiana Tech. The wheels then fell off with a loss to nationally-ranked Boise State (42-26) and a crushing defeat at the hands of Hawaii (68-10) on the road. Following those, the Vandals were routed by Nevada (45-7) and shut out by Fresno State (34-0) before closing out the regular season with a 28-13 loss to San Jose State at home. The team's 4-8 overall record and 3-5 finish in the WAC was certainly something that could be built upon, but Erickson decided that one year was enough and flew back to the Pac-10 and Arizona State for the head spot once the season ended. Erickson's departure opened the door for Robb Akey, who came from Washington State as he became the third Idaho head coach in as many seasons.

2007 ANALYSIS:

OFFENSE: The Vandals ranked eighth in the WAC and 103rd nationally in scoring offense a season ago with just 16.9 ppg, much of that having to do with a passing attack that could never close the deal. The unit ranked fifth in the conference in yards per game from the quarterback position with a respectable 196.1 ypg, but the team had a league-worst eight passing scores, against 16 interceptions over 12 games. Having to start all over again at the QB spot this season will not be easy for coach Akey, nor will it be for the complementary players who are out there trying to get Idaho football back on track. Senior signal-caller Brian Nooy might have the most experience among the QBs on the roster, but Akey has not committed to having him as the starter just yet, allowing redshirt freshman Nathan Enderle to fight for the right to direct the group as well. Perhaps the most secure spot on offense will be at the running back position where Brian Flowers and Jayson Bird figure to get most of the hand offs after they both gained better than 500 yards a season ago and combined for 11 of the unit's 14 rushing TDs. Wide receiver is going to be another issue for the Vandals, with junior Max Komar being the top returner with a mere 17 grabs for 313 yards a season ago. Ryan Heacock, Lee Smith and Raymond Fry will also get their share of the action if the offense can stay on the field long enough. Three returning performers from the offensive line should buy some time for whomever is standing under center as Adam Korby, Adam Juratovac and Kris Anderson ix it up in the trenches.

DEFENSE: With as many as nine returning starters on the defensive side of the ball, the Vandals should be a little more secure in that area, even if the Idaho offense leaves them on the field for far too long. Senior linebacker David Vobora finished 2006 as the team's leading tackler with 134 stops, ranking second in the conference, but really all that means is that the rest of the unit was not doing its job properly and he was having to follow up their mistakes. Nevertheless the all-conference selection was also among the WAC's elite in tackles for loss with 15.5 and tied for the team lead with a pair of forced fumbles. Fellow senior Brandon Ogletree will try to take some of the pressure off Vobora at the linebacker spot, but only time will tell if he has what it takes to be a leader in the middle of the field. Senior cornerback Stanley Franks made himself into the starter at the position after working hard in the spring leading up to last season and responded by leading the nation with 0.75 interceptions per game, his 220 return yards on his school-tying record nine picks being an Idaho single-season record. Not to be overlooked will be junior college transfers T.J. Taylor and Breyon Williams, who could make the secondary for the Vandals a tough-hitting commodity. As a freshman, Shiloh Keo started all 12 games for the team and came in second with 72 tackles from his safety spot, so expect the same sort of effort this time around. Former linebacker Josh Bousman has made the switch to the defensive end position in hopes of solidifying a weakening front that has Ben Alexander and Josh Shaw carrying much of the weight.

SPECIAL TEAMS: Juniors Tino Amancio and T.J. Conley are reprising their roles at placekicker and punter, respectively. Amancio made good on all 23 of his PATs in 2006 and also converted 12-of-17 field goal attempts, so when given the chance he provided more than adequate production for the team. Conley was put out on the field far too many times last year, and yet he averaged close to 40 yards per punt and didn't have a single one of his 67 attempts blocked. Raymond Fry and Stanley Franks should be handling much of the kick return responsibilities, but with so many questions still unanswered there are a number of players who could fill the spots as well.

OUTLOOK: Forget about the fact that Idaho is coming out with a new quarterback this season and that there's a new head coach in town (yet again) and just focus on the fact that the Vandals don't have a lot of depth at any one spot. Then add in a season-opening road game versus USC and the news just gets worse and worse. The other non-conference opponents include Cal Poly, Washington State and Northern Illinois, all programs that could easily dismantle the Vandals if they so wish. The WAC schedule will also provide little in terms of success.

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Numerous College Basketball teams take final big step to March Madness betting

So, what turned on the lock spigot? Well, after what felt like weeks of teams treading water and slipping back into the bubble muck, a bunch of them finally decided to say "to heck with parity" and won games that should put them into the Big Dance.

Disagree with some of these? Then here's the challenge. Take all of the "should be ins" and make a legit case that each should be ahead of the team that's a lock. Then find 10 more teams that also should be placed in the bracket ahead of that lock team. Not so easy, is it?

If you want more evidence that these locks should be good to go, check out what our research department dug up. Since the NCAA Tournament went to 64 teams in 1985, only six teams from a "big six" conference have had a record of 10-6 or better in conference play and not been selected: Colorado (2004) and Nebraska (1999) from the Big 12, Boston College and Seton Hall (both 2003) from the Big East, Indiana (2005) from the Big Ten and UCLA, which somehow went 12-6 in the Pac-10 in 1988 and still missed out. (Note: Five teams went 11-7 and didn't get in, the latest being last season's Stanford team, which had a brutal nonconference run.)

Yes, 10 conference wins doesn't always mean what it used to because of unbalanced schedules, but this season, it should be plenty good in all but the extreme cases (see: Iowa).

In a way, this is a welcome development, because this is a bubble watch, not a lock watch. We can finally be done with teams like Maryland and Virginia Tech and start really bearing down on at-large battles such as Syracuse-West Virginia and Appalachian State-Georgia Tech.

Interestingly, all the shifting of teams into lock status appears to be more administrative than impactful. The number of remaining available at-larges didn't change one iota. The only difference is that teams on the bubble now have a clearer idea of which team(s) they are competing with for those precious bids.

The Bubble Breakdown
CONFERENCE LOCKS SHOULD BE INS AT-LARGES TAKEN
(assuming no auto bid outlier)
ACC Betting Odds 6 0 5
Big East Betting Odds 5 0 4
Big Ten Betting Odds 2 2 3
Big 12 Betting Odds 3 0 2
Pac-10 Betting Odds 5 1 5
SEC Betting Odds 4 0 3
MVC Betting Odds 1 1 1
MWC Betting Odds 2 1 2
TOTAL 28 5 25

As always, I've tried to be as inclusive as possible while only including teams that would have a reasonable chance of at least being discussed if this were Selection Sunday. If your team's not on here, there's probably a good reason (or three) -- start with the RPI and SOS numbers and work your way down.

(Please remember, per selection committee criteria, that records displayed are Division I only. Next update: Feb. 28)

If you have a legitimate grievance, or just like talking bubble, send an e-mail. Polite ones with fact-based arguments have a much better chance of receiving a response. I apologize in advance if I can't get back to all of you.

Atlantic Coast Conference

Work left to do: Clemson, Florida State, Georgia Tech

The ACC moves to six locks as BC, Va Tech and Virginia all got their 10th ACC wins, which should be more than enough this season, and Maryland rallied past North Carolina to get the final piece the Terps needed. After that? It could end there unless FSU, Ga Tech or Clemson picks things up in a hurry.

 

Work left to do:

Clemson [19-9 (5-9), RPI: 41, SOS: 42] The Tigers are closer to locking up the collapse of the year award (in a good battle with OK State) than they are to grabbing an at-large. Clemson's been very competitive, but there's no really positive way you can spin nine losses in 11 games. They now cannot get to .500 in ACC play and still must head to Virginia Tech in the season finale (after hosting Miami). Unless the Tigers win both and/or do some serious work in the ACC tourney, they very well could be left out. There are no great nonconference wins, but ODU, App State, Miss. State, South Carolina and Georgia are all respectable W's.

Florida State [18-11 (6-9), RPI: 48, SOS: 14] The Noles got thrashed at Maryland to run their losing streak to five, but then pounded NC State at home to set the table for what likely is an elimination game at Miami. You can at least make a case for the Seminoles at 7-9 in ACC play (and some work in the ACC tourney), but 6-10 is not going to cut it. Wins at Duke and over Florida will resonate, but the computer numbers remain questionable. Beyond Florida, FSU thrashed bubble buddy Providence, but there's not a ton beyond those two games that will help. They didn't show well in big-time opportunities against Pitt and Wisconsin (before the Florida win).

Georgia Tech [18-10 (6-8), RPI: 51, SOS: 46] The Jackets beat Wake on Wednesday but couldn't get it done at UVa on Saturday, which could be a crucial loss with UNC and BC (both at home) remaining and 8-8 almost a certain need for at-large consideration. A nonconference win over Memphis helps, but the RPI and SOS are not at-large quality right now; if you combine those with a sub-.500 ACC mark, that could spell NIT for GT.

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2007 Academy Award Betting : Oscars odds

The 79th Annual Academy Awards odds , which will air February 25th, is sparking an interest throughout the nation with the announcement of its nominees. As the public chooses their favorites, sportsbooks are creating odds for one of the biggest entertainment betting nights of the year.

Whether its at a “Oscar Party” or in an on line sportsbook, entertainment gambling on award shows represent a huge increase in betting. As the public speculation mounts, MySportsbook.com, the largest and most respected sportsbook on the web, posted odds on who is going home with a “Golden Best Friend.”

“ We see a majority of our entertainment wagers come from the Academy Awards,” said MySportsbook.com spokesperson, Tim Dalton. “This is a competition that applies to everyone. These are the people that entertain us on a daily basis and you want to see them win.”

MySportsbook.com posted the following odds for Academy Awards:

Odds to win the Achievement in Directing:

Alejandro González Iñárritu "Babel": 8/1

Martin Scorsese "The Departed": 2/17

Clint Eastwood "Letters From Iwo Jima: 4/1

Stephen Frears "The Queen": 12/1

Paul Greengrass "United 93": 15/1

Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role:

Leonardo DiCaprio in "Blood Diamond": 11/1

Ryan Gosling in "Half Nelson": 20/1

Peter O’Toole in "Venus": 16/5

Will Smith in "The Pursuit of Happyness": 16/1

Forest Whitaker in "The Last King of Scotland": 1/11

Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role:

Penélope Cruz in "Volver": 18/1

Judi Dench in "Notes on a Scandal": 15/1

Helen Mirren in "The Queen": 1/50

Meryl Streep in "The Devil Wears Prada": 10/1

Kate Winslet in "Little Children": 20/1

Best Animated Feature Film:

"Cars": 1/3

"Happy Feet": 2/1

"Monster House": 20/1

Best Foreign-Language Film of the Year:

"Water" – Canada: 22/1

"The Lives of Others" – Germany: 7/2

"After the Wedding" - Denmark: 24/1

"Days of Glory (Indigenes)" – Algeria: 23/1

"Pan's Labyrinth" - Mexico: 1/10

Odds to win the Best Live-Action Short Film:

"Binta and the Great Idea (Binta Y La Gran Idea)": 6/5

"Eramos Pocos (One Too Many)": 7/2

"Helmer & Son": 5/2

"The Saviour": 6/1

"West Bank Story": 7/2

Odds to win the Best Original Screenplay:

"Babel": 7/4

"Letters From Iwo Jima": 3/1

"Little Miss Sunshine": 21/20

"Pan's Labyrinth": 11/4

"The Queen": 5/4

Best Motion Picture of the Year:

"Babel": 11/4

"The Departed": 1/2

"Letters from Iwo Jima": 15/2

"Little Miss Sunshine": 17/10

"The Queen": 20/1

Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role:

Alan Arkin in "Little Miss Sunshine": 11/10

Jackie Earle Haley in "Little Children": 10/1

Djimon Hounsou in "Blood Diamond": 9/1

Eddie Murphy in "Dreamgirls": 2/5

Mark Wahlberg in "The Departed": 5/1

Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role:

Adriana Barraza in "Babel": 14/1

Cate Blanchett in "Notes on a Scandal": 11/1

Abigail Breslin in "Little Miss Sunshine": 2/1

Jennifer Hudson in "Dreamgirls": 1/8

Rinko Kikuchi in "Babel": 11/1

Film To Win Most Oscars:

Dreamgirls: 2/3

Pans Labyrinth: 6/5

The Departed: 6/1

The Queen: 11/1

Babel: 15/1

Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest: 11/1

Little Miss Sunshine: 15/1


Additional sports and entertainment odds can be found at: www.MySportsbook.com

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