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01/06/2010 -
NEWPORT BEACH, Calif. (AP) -Alabama coach Nick Saban showed up to media day for the BCS championship game wearing a cream-colored suit and a tie with diagonal stripes. Texas coach Mack Brown appeared in a burnt-orange, short-sleeved polo shirt with a big ol' Longhorn logo on it.
Saban got up and left when the horn went off indicating his 60 minutes were done. Brown lingered, spinning a few more stories, shaking a few more hands.
Crimson Tide players talked about being on a business trip. Longhorns players went around interviewing each other and goofing off while taking pictures with the BCS trophy.
Over back-to-back sessions in the same ballroom Tuesday, the difference in demeanor between No. 1 Alabama and No. 2 Texas was easy to spot.
Whether it will mean anything Thursday night is hard to say, especially considering both coaches have won national titles in recent years.
But it's clear that any breakdown of this matchup needs to include serious vs. giddy alongside things like SEC vs. Big 12 and smashmouth offense vs. spread offense.
``I think Coach Brown said it best: 'We need to come in here and have fun and do what we've been doing all year. Don't make it any bigger than it is,''' Longhorns quarterback Colt McCoy said. ``That's kind of my mentality and our team's mentality.
``When we're out there focused and having fun, that's when we're playing to the best of our ability,'' McCoy continued. ``That's exactly what we need to do headed into this game, because we are focused, we are prepared.''
Maybe the Longhorns can relax because McCoy and nine other players have been here before.
While none played in the 2006 Rose Bowl that determined the national championship, they were all watching from the sideline as Vince Young wiped out a late deficit to pull off an upset of No. 1 Southern Cal.
Young persuaded Brown to loosen up throughout that '05 season. Considering how things turned out, it makes sense that he's stuck with a carpe diem approach.
So, actually, his casual approach is just another day at the office. He's handling things in California the same way he does in Austin, all in hopes that players approach the biggest game of their lives as if it's just No. 14 on their schedule.
``Coach Brown just wants to make sure that everybody knows that we don't have to do anything other than what we've been doing every week,'' wide receiver Jordan Shipley said. ``Just go out and play football.''
Then again, the same can be said for Alabama.
Saban is all-business and proud of it, treating the media session as nothing more than the 8 a.m. to 9 a.m. slot on his agenda.
``At this point, it's almost like getting on a flight,'' he said. ``It takes a long time to board and check your bags and all that kind of stuff, but now we're ready to take off. You've got to go through your checklist and make sure you get it right and do it right and get ready to go out there and play your best game of the year.''
Several times this week, Saban has talked to his team about the 1980 U.S. Olympic hockey team, the ``Miracle on Ice'' squad.
Considering the Tide is favored, his message could be to avoid the fate of the Soviet Union team that was upset. Instead, it's been about coming together like that group of unheralded Americans at Lake Placid.
``He's been talking about that movie and that team a lot this week to make sure that we're staying focused on this goal of what we need to do,'' linebacker Cory Reamer said, ``and not straying too far away from it with all the distractions that we have around us.''
But is Saban having any fun?
``I think he's enjoying his work,'' Reamer said. ``I think he's enjoying the process and the fact that we're here playing for this big of a game. He's enjoying preparing and getting the team ready for it. I'm sure he'll have a lot of fun afterward when we win.''Copyright © 2005 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. The information contained in the AP News report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without the prior written authority of The Associated Press.
<< Blues hit road under new coach
ST. LOUIS (AP) -The St. Louis Blues' abysmal home record got coach Andy Murray fired last week. Now they hit the road, where they've played very well, for three straight under interim coach Davis Payne.The Blues have been a confounding team. They're
<< WR/KR Harvin is top offensive rookie
NEW YORK (AP) -Percy Harvin has used his versatility and intelligence to win The Associated Press 2009 NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year award.The Minnesota Vikings wide receiver/kick returner has run away with the balloting the same way he outran de
<< Bengals need to fix offense fast
CINCINNATI (AP) -Laveranues Coles had what amounted to a big game against his former New York Jets teammates. He actually caught a pass from Carson Palmer.No other Bengals receiver did as much.The Bengals (10-6) are headed into the playoffs with the
<< Houston's Cushing is AP top defensive rookie
HOUSTON (AP) -Brian Cushing stood up in his third grade classroom and proclaimed that when he grew up, he'd be the best player to ever play in the NFL.He's not there yet, but on Tuesday he took a step in reaching that goal when the Houston Texans li
Roddick, Blake move into QFs in Brisbane >>
Brisbane, Australia (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Americans Andy Roddick, James Blake and
Wayne Odesnik advanced to the quarterfinals at the season-opening Brisbane
International tennis tournament, an Australian Open tune-up.
The top-seeded Roddick upe
Henin, Hantuchova reach Brisbane quarters >>
Brisbane, Australia (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Belgian great Justine Henin and
fourth seed Daniela Hantuchova of Slovakia moved into the quarterfinals
at the Brisbane International tennis event.
The wild card Henin cruised past K
Undermanned Vols entertain 49ers in non-league tussle >>
Knoxville, TN (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Steeped in controversy, the 16th-ranked
Tennessee Volunteers play host to the Charlotte 49ers tonight in non-
conference action from Thompson-Boling Arena in Knoxville.
Four players on the Tennessee team have
Villanova hosts DePaul in Big East fray >>
Villanova, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The sixth-ranked Villanova Wildcats are set
to take on the struggling DePaul Blue Demons in a Big East Conference affair
this evening.
DePaul has lost its last three games to fall to an even 7-7 overall, incl
Will Ohio State continue to run the table in College Football betting odds?
MySportsbook.com favors Buckeyes, Fighting Irish and Golden Bears in this weekend's big games.
NEW YORK, NY, Sept. 21 - My Sportsbook NCAA football fans: things are beginning to get really interesting on college football's national stage. Following last weekend's "Separation Saturday", which included five teams ranked in the top 15 dropping games, the BCS Championship picture is beginning to take shape - with Ohio State leading the charge. And, according to odds makers at MySportsbook.com, the number-one-ranked Buckeyes will continue their winning ways this weekend.
Revenge will be the name of the game in Columbus this Saturday, as Ohio State looks to even the score following last season's loss to Joe Paterno's Nittany Lions. Although Penn State are listed as 16.5 point underdogs, they are 11-10 all-time versus the Buckeyes. Paterno and the Lions, however, will have to shut down Heisman Trophy favorite Troy Smith who has thrown for 769 yards and seven touchdowns this season.
Speaking of revenge, Notre Dame will be out for some against Michigan State, following last year's 44 - 41 overtime loss to the Spartans in South Bend. The thirteenth-ranked Irish, listed as a 3-point favorite, will also be looking to avenge last Saturday's thrashing from the Michigan Wolverines. The Spartans, meanwhile, have won seven of the last nine match-ups against Notre Dame and are coming off an impressive 38-23 victory over Pittsburgh.
Out west, 22nd-ranked Arizona State will be battling for their first victory over 21st-ranked California since 2000. Although the Golden Bears are listed as 7.5-point favorites, the Sun Devils are 3-0, lead the nation in sacks with 18 and possess the Pac-10's leading passer in sophomore quarterback Rudy Carpenter.
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NCAA Football betting lines (home team in CAPS)
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Date Favorite Opponent Point Spread
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Sept 21 GEORGIA TECH Virginia 17
Sept 22 NEVADA Northwestern 6.5
Sept 23 MICHIGAN Wisconsin 14
Sept 23 Minnesota PURDUE 3
Sept 23 SYRACUSE Miami (Ohio) 6.5
Sept 23 MISSOURI Ohio 21.5
Sept 23 Louisville KANSAS STATE 14
Sept 23 TENNESSEE Marshall 22
Sept 23 CLEMSON North Carolina 16.5
Sept 23 FLORIDA Kentucky 24
Sept 23 Iowa ILLINOIS 20.5
Sept 23 FLORIDA STATE Rice 30.5
Sept 23 AUBURN Buffalo 41.5
Sept 23 BOWLING GREEN Kent 7
Sept 23 NAVY Tulsa 4.5
Sept 23 VIRGINIA TECH Cincinnati 27
Sept 23 BYU Utah State 29
Sept 23 OHIO STATE Penn State 16.5
Sept 23 TEXAS Iowa State 25
Sept 23 Washington State STANFORD 10
Sept 23 CALIFORNIA Arizona State 7.5
Sept 23 UCLA WASHINGTON 3
Sept 23 INDIANA Connecticut 1.5
Sept 23 Central Michigan EASTERN MICHIGAN 4
Sept 23 WYOMING Air Force 1
Sept 23 UTEP NEW MEXICO 9.5
Sept 23 West Virginia EAST CAROLINA 21
Sept 23 Boston College NORTH CAROLINA STATE 7
Sept 23 GEORGIA Colorado 27
Sept 23 ARKANSAS Alabama 1.5
Sept 23 BAYLOR Army 11
Sept 23 WESTERN MICHIGAN Temple 28
Sept 23 MISSISSIPPI Wake Forest 2.5
Sept 23 KANSAS South Florida 5.5
Sept 23 TEXAS A&M Louisiana Tech 23.5
Sept 23 UAB Mississippi State 9.5
Sept 23 LSU Tulane 36
Sept 23 Utah SAN DIEGO STATE 6.5
Sept 23 BOISE STATE Hawaii 15
Sept 23 Notre Dame MICHIGAN STATE 3
Sept 23 USC ARIZONA U 22
Sept 23 Oklahoma State HOUSTON 1
Sept 23 OREGON STATE Idaho 23
Sept 23 OKLAHOMA Middle Tennessee State 29
Sept 23 MARYLAND Florida International 18.5
Sept 23 AKRON North Texas 17.5
Sept 23 SOUTH CAROLINA Florida Atlantic 29.5
Sept 23 NEBRASKA Troy 23
Sept 23 SMU Arkansas State 6
For complete NCAA football odds and World Series odds please visit MySportsbook.com
“You play to win the game!”
Those are the words of notoriously intense head coach Herman Edwards. Unfortunately, from a bettors’ perspective, most coaches don’t feel that way about the NFL preseason. August is a time to evaluate young players, finalize the depth chart and pray your star players stay healthy.
The trick to making money during the exhibition schedule is identifying coaches – like Edwards – who can’t stand losing even when there's nothing on the line.
The New York Jets betting won 15 of 21 preseason games and went 14-7 against the spread (ATS) during Edwards’s five-year tenure with the club. In his first season as the Kansas City Chiefs field boss, the team improved from 0-4 to 2-2.
Identifying win-a-holics like Edwards is a good start if you plan betting the preseason – even though most say you shouldn’t ... but what the hell do they know anyway?
Here’s a brief rundown of two teams that have a habit of winning during the second-stringers’ season, and another club that has a good chance of exceeding this year.
Playing in the media hub of North America can be stressful but the press can’t write anything negative about the way Tom Coughlin’s boys play in the preseason. The Giants won and covered all four games last summer, improving their record to 7-1 both straight up (SU) and against the spread over the last two years.
Coughlin has shown he’s not afraid to give his starters more time in the second preseason game than most of his colleagues, no doubt one of the reasons his team has been so dominant.
Bettors can count on America’s team early on. The Cowboys are 14-6 both SU and ATS since 2002 in warm-up contests. Former coach Bill Parcells, the coach of the team the last four years, has an intimidating, in-your-face presence – surely a reason Dallas has had so much early success.
The Big Tuna won’t be strolling the sidelines with looks of disgust, but new coach Wade Phillips will be anxious to make a good first impression for owner Jerry Jones.
Dallas plays the Indianapolis Colts and the Denver Broncos before things get serious. They then face the Houston Texans in their third contest (the game starters see most game time) and finish off with the Minnesota Vikings.
Expect a Dallas team able to walk away with another 3-1 preseason record.
This team scored a league-worst 12 offensive touchdowns last season, so the rookies and veterans each have something to prove. There’s a bounty of first-unit jobs up for grabs and plenty of bodies competing for those slots.
First-time head coach Lane Kiffin will be eager to impress an owner who employs the philosophy, “Just win, baby!”
The 32-year-old Kiffin has to command respect from a locker room full of players older than him. All of these factors should lead to purpose in preseason.
Don’t forget: before playing like a team that belonged in NFL Europe, Oakland went 4-1 (both SU and ATS) in exhibition games.
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