NCAA Week 14 Picks Review: College Football Review: It feels good to end on a winner, but c’mon, it could have been soooo much better than 6-5. Think about it. Christian Ponder should have just manned up and played, the Seminoles would have been a much better bet to cover. The Huskies only scored a touchdown because a stupid personal foul penalty got them out of “run out the clock and kick a field goal to win it” range – so they covered by a half point. The Sooners failed to cover by a couple points in a game they dominated offensively and got 4 turnovers in. But hey, this is the way football works and 6-5 to end, like I said, means I’m ending on a winner in the NCAA non-bowl season. Here’s the rundown…

Arizona State Sun Devils (+6) @ Arizona Wildcats (WIN)
The Sun Devils won outright, just as I had planned – and warned. It was a tight one, a good rivalry game, and the final minutes went my way.

#25 Northern Illinois Huskies (-17.5) @ Miami-Ohio Redhawks (Loss)
After NIU built their season all the way into the Top 25, the Redhawks took it all the way. Nothing feels worse than expecting a 17 point favorite to cover and they lose outright.

Illinois Illini @ Fresno State Bulldogs (+5.5) (WIN)
Fresno beat Illinois, just as I had expected. If taking a big favorite to cover and having that team lose feels terrible – then this feels just as good, a nice fat underdog that all the “experts” and “public” expect to lose, wins.

Rutgers Scarlet Knights (+20.5) @ West Virginia Mountaineers (Loss)
Rutgers wasn’t even close in this one. Not even a little bit.

Utah State Aggies (+39) @ #11 Boise State Broncos (WIN)
A late score from the Aggies kept it just barely close enough for me to feel good about picking against the Broncos. Boise has only lost ATS a few times all year – I have at least one of those, but I think two.

#17 Nevada Wolf Pack (-8.5) @ Louisiana Tech Bulldogs (WIN)
And Nevada was too much for the Bulldogs – weird. Still, Nevada’s reward? Try a blah bowl game against a blah team. They end with one loss, they beat Boise State, and they get a game against Boston College. Yay… It’s not even a nice warm spot, they head North to San Francisco to play the game. Hate bowls.

#2 Oregon Ducks (-16.5) @ Oregon State Beavers (WIN)
It was closer than I expected, but I’ll take even the slightest of wins! The Ducks were tested early but they controlled the game throughout – they won by, haha, 17 points… Just by a hair!

#1 Auburn Tigers (-4.5) @ #19 South Carolina Gamecocks (WIN)
Auburn was the better team. That’s what I thought. This just so happened to be a game where everything bounced the way of the Tigers. This Cam Newton kid isn’t bad.

Washington Huskies @ Washington State Cougars (+6.5) (Loss)
A half point. If the Huskies don’t get a stupid holding penalty and get to 2nd and 22, they don’t throw the ball again, they kick a field goal to win it – they win, I win, everyone wins. But the Huskies do take dumb penalties and they did need to throw it, and that got them a touchdown on a heck of a pass from Jake Locker in the back of the end zone. They won by 7… A half point. Win some of those, lose some.

#21 Florida State Seminoles (+4) @ #15 Virginia Tech Hokies (Loss)
Christian Ponder didn’t play. I thought he would. That effected the game just a little bit.

#9 Oklahoma Sooners (-4.5) @ #13 Nebraska Cornhuskers (Loss)
The Cornhuskers lose to Oklahoma but by just few enough points to hand me a loss. Bummer. I didn’t lose as much as Nebraska did, though – instead of going to a BCS Bowl, the Fiesta, the Cornhuskers will be playing a UW Huskies team that they walked into Seattle and trounced earlier this season. They might get cookies and milk afterward. Bowls = awesome.

So that’s it for the regular season, and it was up and down but I ended up doing pretty well. I was more than 20 games over .500 and that makes it my best NCAA season yet. Stay tuned for Bowls where I try to build on my record.

NCAA Week 14 Picks Review: College Football Review originally appeared on Lucky Lester Free Football Picks on December 7, 2010. Remember you can also Tweet This.

Week 13 2010 NCAA Picks REVIEW – College Football Revisited: I was 7-5 in one of the last regular season weeks of the year. Next week there are some conference games left, and some conference playoff action – try to build my record up before bowl season. Here are my picks.

Texas A&M Aggies (-3.5) @ Texas Longhorns (WIN)
This Game was closer than I thought it would be, but it was obvious that the better teams was Texas A&M – they didn’t dominate, but they ended up taking the game in Texas by a touchdown over the Longhorns.

#2 Auburn Tigers (+4.5) @ #11 Alabama Crimson Tide (WIN)
Auburn spotted the Tide a big lead, but just like Alabama came back to beat Arkansas by sticking them in the 2nd half and pouring on points – so Auburn copied their tactics. Auburn let Cam Newton show off his arm a bit, and despite being out-gained, the Tigers willed their way to victory – continuing their undefeated run at a National Championship – winning by a single point, 28-27.

#21 Arizona Wildcats (+20) @ #1 Oregon Ducks (WIN)
The Wildcats kept it close early, but the Ducks came on like gangbusters after going into halftime behind Arizona. It ended up being a 20-point win – or, should I say very close to 20. The Ducks won by 19, giving me a one point cover as I took the Wildcats.

#4 Boise State Broncos (-14) @ #19 Nevada Wolf Pack (Loss)
Boise lost this game, and somehow a whole bunch of respect. Nevada is good, and the Broncos are a field goal away from a victory as time expires. Boise didn’t have an answer for Nevada’s pistol offense in the 2nd half – and they deserved to win in overtime.

Michigan Wolverines @ #8 Ohio State Buckeyes (-17) (WIN)
Seemed easy going in, it was indeed. Ohio State showed why Michigan hasn’t beaten a good team all season long. The can’t stop anybody.

#5 LSU Tiger @ #12 Arkansas Razorbacks (-3) (WIN)
The Razorbacks ended up with a touchdown win over the Tigers, and a shot at a BCS Bowl game if the cards get played right. Ryan Mallet showed some gusto with a 40 yard touchdown pass on 4th and 3 – and the Razorbacks used their 10 point 4th quarter to win by 8.

Northwestern Wildcats (+23.5) @ #7 Wisconsin Badgers (Loss)
The Badgers continue to badger opponents, no kidding, they put up 70+ again and I’m pretty sure they have the best running back stable in the country. Those big boys up front, and anybody the Badgers hand the ball to really get the job done. Wisconsin should be big-bowling when all is said and done.

Florida Gators (+3) @ #22 Florida State Seminoles (Loss)
Well, I was certainly wrong about this one. FSU dominated the Gators and now will play for an ACC Title and a chance at the BCS.

Washington Huskies (+7) @ California Bears (WIN)
And the Huskies win!!! Either way they were going to cover, but going for it on 4th and goal from the 1-yard line was a ballsy call – if only because three straight quarterback sneaks for nothing was a dumb call. It all worked out for Sark, King Jake, and the Dawgs, however – and now all they have to do is beat their biggest rival on the road in December… No problemo…. RIGHT?

Oregon State Beavers (+14.5) @ #6 Stanford Cardinal (Loss)
Standford is one of the best teams in the Nation. Oregon State usually steps up to play against good teams. Not this time. I lose.

#13 Oklahoma Sooners @ #9 Oklahoma State Cowboys (+3) (Loss)
The Sooners got a crazy shootout win against the Cowboys. Oklahoma State never led in this game – but it was tied going into the 4th, and during a crazy 4th quarter where 40 total points were scored between these two teams (31 in the final 4:06) the Cowboys pulled within 2 twice. I thought they might lose by 2 and give me the win. I was wrong – as it would go, the Sooners pulled some trickery and ended up with a 47-41 win in a great game.

Notre Dame Fighting Irish @ USC Trojans (WIN)
The Irish end up beating USC and covering the spread. It truly was a story of two halves as Notre Dame took a 13-3 lead into the break while USC battle back, scoring 13 straight points in the 2nd half to take a 16-13 lead. But Robert Hughes would run in a touchdown with just over 2 minutes left in the game, and that score would be the difference. ND beat USC 20-16.

Week 13 2010 NCAA Picks REVIEW – College Football Revisited originally appeared on Lucky Lester Free Football Picks on November 29, 2010. Remember you can also Tweet This.

5-6-1 for Week 12’s picks. Not the worst thing that could have happened to my overall record, but a losing week nonetheless. It wasn’t Saturday that got me down, shoot, I was 4-2-1 on College Football Saturday. It was Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday that stabbed me where it counts, as I went 1-4 on weekdays – talk about a hole to get out of. I thought I was out of the hole, as OT hit Arkansas and Mississippi State – but it wasn’t to be, and I settled for one game in the red. Here’s the nitty gritty.

Miami Ohio Redhawks @ Akron Zips (+10.5) (Win)
The Zips started my weekend out right, playing the Redhawks tough before losing by 5. From this point forward, there wasn’t much to like before Saturday, but I nearly came out of it on top!

Bowling Green Falcons (+10.5) @ Toledo Rockets (Loss)
The Falcons teased me when they made it 14-26 midway through the 3rd, but all they’d do from there is give up a score and never put another point on the board – they didn’t cover, obviously.

UCLA Bruins (+2.5) @ Washington Huskies (Loss)
The Bruins didn’t do anything well. It was embarrassing. The Huskies just ran the ball all day, and UCLA couldn’t stop it or retaliate. The Pac-10 is weird.

Air Force Falcons (-19) @ UNLV Runnin’ Rebels (Loss)
The Falcons scored late to build their lead, but it wasn’t enough –they won by 15, prolonging my mid-week losing streak.

Fresno State Bulldogs (+31) @ #4 Boise State Broncos (Loss)
After the first quarter the scoreboard said the Bulldogs had a chance, but I wasn’t buying it. What I thought would be a competitive game wasn’t at all –as Boise did what they’ve been doing all season, shutting down opposing offenses like it’s their job.

#7 Wisconsin Badgers (-4) @ Michigan Wolverines (WIN)
The Badgers literally ran away with this one. They were better everywhere. Even though Denard Robinson was impressive yet again, the Badgers showed why they win football games where the Wolverines just flash stats.

North Carolina State Wolfpack @ North Carolina Tar Heels (-2.5) (Loss)
The Heels built a 19-10 lead late in the 3rd quarter, but a late 3rd quarter TD got NC State with-in 2, and they’d end up scoring 17 unanswered points to take an 8 point lead. The Heels scored again with a minute left, but a 2-point conversion failed and the Wolfpack snuck out of UNC with what ended up being a 2-point win.

Mississippi Rebels (+16) @ #5 LSU Tigers (WIN)
The Rebels didn’t win in LSU, but they sure made the Tigers work for it. Masoli turned a mediocre day into a a solid one in a single big pass to give the Rebels a one-point lead with 5 minutes left. But with all the scoring all day, nobody figured that would be the end of it. It wasn’t. RB Steven Ridley scored a TD with 44 seconds left and the Tigers won by a touchdown for the 7 point win – but that was an easy cover for the good guys!

#9 Ohio State Buckeyes (-3) @ #20 Iowa Hawkeyes (Push)
The Buckeyes win in Iowa, but a late touchdown that could have been there wasn’t and a field goal victory was all that was in the cards – a tough Big 10 push for me.

#16 Virginia Tech Hokies (-2.5) @ #24 Miami Hurricanes (WIN)
The Hokies lock up their part of the ACC and work on completing their ultimate comeback from the devistation that was Week 2 of their season.

#13 Arkansas Razorbacks @ #21 Mississippi State Bulldogs (+3.5) (Loss)
The Overtime loss obviously hurts. If the Razorbacks’ kicker had hit his 39 yard field goal in the first overtime to win it, I’d be chatting about how I just slipped out of Mississippi State’s side with a half point to spare. As is, the kick went wide left, the OT went to #2, and the Razorbacks scored the only TD of the 2nd OT to win by 7. Aka, I don’t cover.

#8 Nebraska Cornhuskers @ #19 Texas A&M Aggies (+3) (WIN)
The Aggies win, the Aggies win. It wasn’t pretty, it wasn’t an offensive onslaught, but the Aggies pulled out of their home game against the higher ranked Cornhuskers with a 9-6 win, relying on their defense to hold on for dear life.

NCAA Free Football Picks REVIEW for Week 12 2010 originally appeared on Lucky Lester Free Football Picks on November 22, 2010. Remember you can also Tweet This.

NCAA Free Picks REVIEW: Week 10 2010 Free College Football Picks: There was one point on Saturday where I was 9-0 with a couple Pac-10 games and the Arkansas/South Carolina game yet to go. I usually do well in the Pac-10 and I liked my chances with South Carolina at home – shoot, I thought I was going 12-0 on Saturday. Well, I didn’t go undefeated, but 10-2 on Saturday, 13-4 overall for Week 10 – well, that’s not half bad! Here’s the review…

#16 Rutgers Scarlet Knights (+10.5) @ South Florida Bulls (WIN)
I thought this one would end up being way too close to bet against 10.5 points either way. I was right on the button as it came down to a one-point contest. Rutgers lost, but they still won if you know what I mean.

Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets @ #22 Virginia Tech Hokies (-12) (Loss)
Va Tech handed me one of my few losses in Week 10, but they still won. In fact, almost every one of my losses was within a few points.

Buffalo Bulls @ Ohio Bobcats (-15) (WIN)
Everyone was right about the Bobcats! Well 90% of “experts” and 73% of the public, anyway. We just slipped a quick one on them here, it was closer than we all expected, but we ended up winners by a couple points.

Western Michigan Broncos (+3.5) @ Central Michigan Chippewas (Loss)
Speaking of a couple points, the Broncos lost by 4. Crushing. How does that always happen? Nobody wins by 4, 3 is a much more common difference in a game – yet every time I get 3.5 the loss is by 4. Ridiculous.

Central Florida Knights (-2) @ Houston Cougars (WIN)
Central Florida won on the road against a very competitive Houston club. The Cougars fought back from a 23-10 halftime deficit, but still ended up losing by a touchdown. Yay, me!

Minnesota Golden Gophers (+24.5) @ Michigan State Spartans (WIN)
It was getting hairy, but the early offensive struggles from the Spartans and that late Minnesota touchdown sealed it. It’s nice to get 24.5 points, that’s for sure. The Spartans won 31-8. The math says, “That’s good enough!”

Illinois Illini (+3) @ Michigan Wolverines (WIN)
The Illini looked like the better team, but Michigan pulled it out in OT. I thought for sure I’d either push or win this game when the Illini won or Michigan won by a field goal after accidentally stopping Illinois. But that’s not how it went, in the 3rd OT each team has to go for 2. Michigan got theirs while Illinois couldn’t get it done. They lost by 2, but they still won… Right?

#21 Baylor Bears @ #19 Oklahoma State Cowboys (-7) (WIN)
The Cowboys killed the Bears, weird. Baylor showed their struggles against good teams again, hardly being competitive from the outset.

Washington Huskies @ Oregon Ducks (-28.5) (WIN)
Well, 35 points was harder to cover I’m sure, but 53 (Oregon’s score) minus 16 (Washington’s score) still equals 37 and I’m pretty sure a 37 point win covers a 35 point spread. The Huskies actually played pretty well in this game, or it would have been 70-0. Seriously. I was impressed with the Dawgs and they might just get a couple more wins going forward.

Hawaii Warriors @ #4 Boise State Broncos (-21) (WIN)
This game went exactly how I thought it would as the Hawaiin offense really struggled against a defensive talent they had not faced all season. The Broncos dominated this game because they are one of the best teams in all the land.

North Carolina Tar Heels (+10.5) @ #24 Florida State Seminoles (WIN)
The Tar Heels won outright, further muddying the ACC waters. All these teams do is beat each other when they really shouldn’t have a chance. North Carolina must be really well coached or just extremely resilient.

#3 TCU Horned Frogs (-4.5) @ #4 Utah Utes (WIN)
It was nice to see my road chalk work out so nicely. TCU truly is a great team, and I hope they at least get the chance to prove that during a bowl season that doesn’t match them up against Boise State. Santa, can you at least give me that this season?

California Golden Bears @ Washington State Cougars (+15) (WIN)
Oh, those pesky Cougars almost pulled out a Pac 10 victory, something that would truly be huge for this struggling program. But they had to settle for playing well and giving Cal a game, and, oh yeah, covering for me!

#18 Arkansas Razorbacks @ #19 South Carolina Gamecocks (-3) (Loss)
Arkansas came on in and ousted the Gamecocks – handing me one of my worst losses of the week, and, get this, my first Saturday loss of the day – (I had run off 9 straight Ws before that L).

#6 Alabama Crimson Tide @ #10 LSU Tigers (+6.5) (WIN)
LSU won outright, using their tough defense to slay the favored Crimson Tide by a field goal.

#15 Arizona Wildcats (+9.5) @ #13 Stanford Cardinal (Loss)
Stanford throttled the Cardinal, easily covering the spread. I thought the Wildcats’ defense would put up more of a fight, but Stanford’s balanced attack was too much, and Andrew Luck showed why I think he’s the best pro prospect in the country.

Arizona State Sun Devils (+6) @ USC Trojans (WIN)
I thought I had taken one on the chin when USC went up a couple touchdowns. However, the Sun Devils fought back and actually took the lead – only to lose by a field goal in the end. But as I like to say, they still won for me!

13 wins is a nice number, and I needed one of these weekends!

NCAA Free Picks REVIEW: Week 10 2010 Free College Football Picks originally appeared on Lucky Lester Free Football Picks on November 8, 2010. Remember you can also Tweet This.

NCAA Picks REVIEW for Week 9 2010 College Football: The NCAA’s (and picks as a whole for that matter) haven’t been getting me any brownie points out there, but remember, I’ve always been a winner and I’m still holding strong on the season. This week I fought and scratched to a 6-5-2 record as the big games made me look brilliant, while the early week tilts got me down, and the pushes that needed to be wins assured me a fairly mediocre record. Still, one game in the green this week, this is how it went down.

Louisiana Tech Bulldogs (+35) @ Boise State Broncos (WIN)
A late addition to my picks, I grabbed the Bulldogs as a nice big dog at Boise. They held true, showing a decent defense at times, holding the Broncos to just 49 points (haha) while scoring 20 of their own. Just enough…

#16 Florida State Seminoles (-3.5) @ NC State Wolfpack (Loss)
The Wolfpack came out and got the Seminoles in a big Thursday Night game for both schools. FSU didn’t play very well and NC State tossed the ball around the Seminoles secondary to win by a touchdown.

West Virginia Mountaineers (-6) @ Connecticut Huskies (Loss)
The Huskies came out tough and fought the Mounties all night, eventually winning in overtime with a field goal after West Virginia coughed the ball up on their fist possession.

Northwestern Wildcats (-3) @ Indiana Hoosiers (PUSH)
Dang pushes always breaking my balls.

Tennessee Volunteers @ #20 South Carolina Gamecocks (-17) (Loss)
Oh, those pesky Volunteers did just enough, losing by 14 and covering by a field goal. South Carolina didn’t play very well, and if they don’t step it up they are getting pounded next week.

#5 Michigan State Spartans @ #18 Iowa Hawkeyes (-6) (WIN)
It looked like a tough spread, but in the end it was the Spartan’s time to let go of those undefeated BCS buster dreams. Iowa was the better team. They shellacked the Spartans.

#6 Missouri Tigers @ #14 Nebraska Cornhuskers (-5) (WIN)
Nebraska didn’t quite dominate the Tigers like Iowa did to the Spartans, but it certainly was enough. Aside from one donkey game, the Cornhuskers have been pretty dang good this season, and they proved their worth by defeating the undefeated.

Florida Gators @ Georgia Bulldogs (-3) (Loss)
Another game that went to overtime and ended in the wrong end of my book. The sportsbooks got me again. Florida snapped a field goal through the uprights to win it by 3.

#1 Auburn Tigers (-7) @ Mississippi Rebels (WIN)
After walking out of the first quarter tied at 14, the Tigers did some very bad things to the Rebels. It was 34-17 at the half, and 44-17 after 3 quarters. Are the Ducks and Tigers on an offensive explosion collision course? At least that would be a little salve to the wound of Boise and TCU (or Utah) being shut out again.

Washington State Cougars (+21.5) @ Arizona State Sun Devils (Loss)
The Cougars finally lost me one, getting dominated by an underrated Sun Devil’s defense. I might go back to the well next week, anyway – and heck, I might pick ASU as well.

#13 Stanford Cardinal (-7) @ Washington Huskies (WIN)
Free money came true. I hope you enjoyed your winnings here.

#2 Oregon Ducks (-7) @ USC Trojans (WIN)
USC put up a fight, but they just couldn’t cut it in the end. But who can? Nobody thus far.

Michigan Wolverines (-2) @ Penn State Nittany Lions (Loss)
My cousin goes to Michigan, but I promise I’m not biased. I thought Denard Robinson would dominate this game and that Penn State would really struggle to put up enough points. Well, I was right about Robinson – he nearly hit 400 yards and was responsible for 4 total TDs- what I forgot was how bad Michigan’s defense is. Penn State didn’t forget, and they threw up 41 on the Wolverines to get a 10 point win.

NCAA Picks REVIEW for Week 9 2010 College Football originally appeared on Lucky Lester Free Football Picks on November 3, 2010. Remember you can also Tweet This.

NCAA Free Picks Review for Week 8 2010 College Football: Week 8 got me 8 losses, and that wouldn’t be all that bad if I had picked 20 games, but I guess it would have been a lot worse had I picked 10. Anyway, I think I was done up pretty good in a couple of them – so here’s the review, from my point of view. I finished 7-8 in Week 8.

UCLA Bruins @ #1 Oregon Ducks (-24) (WIN)
The Ducks absolutely rolled the Bruins. It was something like 14-0 after the first 4 minutes, and the scoring hardly slowed down. The Ducks are an entirely different machine, and no, USC fans, I don’t know how the Trojans will even begin to slow down the Big O.

South Florida Bulls (+8) @ Cincinnati Bearcats (WIN)
The Bulls actually won by 8, which is always nice. The Bearcats were bound to have a stinker after a few solid performances.

Penn State Nittany Lions @ Minnesota Golden Gophers (+9.5) (LOSS)
The Gophers definitely had a chance coming out of the gates in the 2nd half with a score to make this a one-touchdown game. But a field goal, then a touchdown, then another safety broke it open. The Gophers fought back and made it 12, and had a chance to maybe sneak a cover in there, but it was all for not as the Lions won 33-21.

#8 Michigan State Spartans @ Northwestern Wildcats (+5.5) (LOSS)
It’s all good, I’ll own the loss here, but tell me you weren’t thinking, “That Lucky is a damned genius,” into the 4th quarter of this game. Someone, the Spartans derailed the huge upset, scored 21 in the 4th, and managed to not only win but cover the spread by a couple points in the process. Hogwash. I still think this was a great pick.

Purdue Boilermakers (+24) @ #10 Ohio State Buckeyes (LOSS)
The Buckeyes covered halfway through the 2nd quarter, and I looked dumb taking the Boilermakers. It wasn’t the last time I looked bad.

Duke Blue Devils (+26.5) @ #23 Virginia Tech Hokies (LOSS)
Well, I hate Duke, but I thought they’d put up enough points. I should have known. Va Tech is actually as good as people thought they were earlier in the year, the only game that was out of the ordinary for them was the 2nd game of the season where they lost to that subdivision team. One week, we all need to let it go. Duke has…

Notre Dame Fighting Irish @ Navy Midshipmen (+7) (WIN)
This is one of those games where I just shine with happiness when I watch. Everything that I thought would go right, did, times 100. Navy didn’t just cover, they didn’t just win, they dominated the Irish and embarrassed a once proud school. Jessy and Rose: Hahahahahaha…. (Big Irish Fans)

Maryland Terrapins @ Boston College Eagles (-4) (LOSS)
Boston College made a game of it in the 4th quarter, putting up two touchdowns to make it a 3-point game. BC even had a shot at mid-field with a drive starting and just under 2 minutes on the clock – but they couldn’t even get a first down, two complete passes and a 4th and 1 stuff ended BC’s hopes at stealing one from Maryland.

#11 Wisconsin Badgers @ #12 Iowa Hawkeyes (-5.5) (LOSS)
Wisconsin scored with 1 minute left to pull ahead of the Hawkeyes by a single point after Iowa had scored 10 straight points to take a 6-point lead. Did I mention they lost by a point? Oh yeah, they missed an extra point in the first quarter. Those things never come back to haunt you. It was close, and a win was right there, but the Badgers just ended up being the tougher team.

#6 LSU Tigers @ #5 Auburn Tigers (-6) (WIN)
Auburn was easily the more impressive team, but I certainly didn’t think I was going to cover when Auburn was driving late in the 4th quarter. It was 17-17 despite a huge yardage discrepancy. Then, out of nowhere, Onterio McCalebb took a run 70 yards to the house for a touchdown lead. Their defense held, and Auburn left the only undefeated Tigers team in the SEC. Final yardage difference, 526-243…. And this was a one score game, crazy.

#13 Nebraska Cornhuskers (-5.5) @ #15 Oklahoma State Cowboys (WIN)
This one was tight, and an absolute no-defense fest. But the young Nebraska kid, Martinez, they said he couldn’t throw –but it was his arm that destroyed the Cowboys’ in Oklahoma. He tossed 5 touchdown passes and 323 yards (with no interceptions) after never throwing for more than 150 yards in any game this season, and only having 3 touchdowns (and 3 interceptions) through the first 6 games. I was surprised how they did it, but not surprised that they did it.

Washington State Cougars (+35) @ #14 Stanford Cardinal (WIN)
Even when it was 31-7 heading into the 4th, I was covering (but worried). Then WSU scored, and I knew I was going to get this one easily. Then WSU made a couple big plays and brought it back with-in 10. Right now, when the Cougars are huge dogs (every week) they are basically an auto-spread-cover. Enjoy.

#7 Alabama Crimson Tide (-16.5) @ Tennessee Volunteers (WIN)
Albama played tight with Tennessee for a while, going into the half with a 13-10 lead, but I must say, I turned to my buddy and said, “I’m not too worried. They’ll run it more in the 2nd half, break some big ones, and walk away with a cover.” Well, they shut out the Vols in the 2nd half, and put up 28 points of their own, mostly just running the ball. Richardson 119 yards and a long score, Ingram 88 yards and a couple scores. McElroy was solid, just like he needs to be, and the Tide will win any week.

North Carolina Tar Heels (+7) @ #25 Miami Hurricanes (LOSS)
It was 13-10 at the half, but I was worried. It was 33-10 when the game was over, and my worries were well deserved. Carolina just couldn’t move the ball after their 2nd quarter touchdown, and Miami was just solid.

Washington Huskies (+7) @ #18 Arizona Wildcats (LOSS)
Hahahaha-Huskies. I don’t know – these Dawgs have really tricked me a few times over the years, but I sure thought they’d be tough against the Wildcats 2nd string QB. They weren’t, they were as dominated defensively as they have been all year. I should have known the Cats would just turn to the run, and because of it, easily slip passed the Huskies. Dang it! And my winning week depended on this one, those blasted Huskies!

NCAA Free Picks Review for Week 8 2010 College Football originally appeared on Lucky Lester Free Football Picks on October 25, 2010. Remember you can also Tweet This.

Review of NCAA Picks for Week 7 2010: Another 4-7 week (well I was 4-7-1 last week, but it’s basically the same damned thing). I’m not too fond of 4-7, it really bites into my winning record on the season, and that’s no good. I started out well, getting me excited for the big week – but then The Wildcats gave it to the Jayhawks and it was mostly down hill from there. Here’s the recap…

Central Florida Knights (-5) @ Marshall Thundering Herd (WIN)
Central Florida killed Marshall in just about every part of the football game. The poring rain and strikes of lightening were the only things stopping the Knights- they put up 35 points on the Thundering Herd and didn’t lose a single quarter. It was just too easy, from start to finish.

South Florida Bulls @ #25 West Virginia Mountaineers (-11.5) (WIN)
It’s amazing to think about, but a late 2nd quarter interception, and following touchdown pass, really ended up being this ball game. South Florida could never get going, completing just one third down and accruing just 202 total yards. West Virginia wasn’t awesome offensively, but they capitalized on some big plays early, and held on with defense late. The 3rd quarter field goal by WVU was the last score of the game, and it just got me the cover by a few points.

Kansas State Wildcats @ Kansas Jayhawks (+3) (LOSS)
Wrong. Kansas State made me look a fool – just like they did to Kansas. 59-7, yeah, and it wasn’t that close.

Cincinnati Bearcats @ Louisville Cardinals (+3) (LOSS)
This game was real tight and I definitely had a chance. With 11 minutes to go Louisville kicked a field goal to get within 1 point, but Zach Collaros threw a 62 yard touchdown pass to Armon Binns and it was back to 8, just 2 minutes after the Cardinals tried to cover up. There were a couple more drives, but Louisville was thwarted and the Bearcats got a key first down to ice it.

Texas Longhorns @ #5 Nebraska Cornhuskers (-9.5) (LOSS)
I don’t know how this happens, but the Longhorns suddenly got good defensively and shut down one of the best rushing offenses the Nation has to offer. UCLA gets into them pretty good, then they stone Nebraska. Weird.

#12 Arkansas Razorbacks (+6) @ #7 Auburn Tigers (LOSS)
I’d like to say it would have been different had Ryan Mallet not left with a dome injury, but I’m not so sure. Auburn was up most of the game, but Arkansas fired back and actually took the lead early in the 4th quarter, 43-37. That lasted a hair over 2 minutes before Auburn took the lead back for good. The Tigers scored 28 points in the 4th quarter and 65 points overall. Anytime you allow 65 points, you probably don’t deserve to win.

#15 Iowa Hawkeyes (-3) @ Michigan Wolverines (WIN)
The Hawkeyes were the much better team. You could say that Denard Robinson’s injury ruined the Wolverines’ chances – but that would be a big fat lie. Tate Forcier came in and played awesome, bringing the Wolverines back and making it respectable. Still, Iowa was great defensively, like they are, and Michigan couldn’t stop the ball.

California Golden Bears (+2.5) @ USC Trojans (LOSS)
Yeah, the same old thing from the Golden Bears, should have known.

#1 Ohio State Buckeyes (-4) @ #18 Wisconsin Badgers (LOSS)
The Badgers handled the Buckeyes all day long. It was a blowout early, and while Ohio State came back and made a game of it, the Badgers put it out of reach with 7 minutes left in the 4th. Number one goes down!

#17 Arizona Wildcats @ Washington State Cougars (+23.5) (WIN)
The Cougars continue to be a great value bet, which is a great thing – because I get to watch them win me money by covering, but still losing. Glorious! They are playing better and better football, though, and I expect them to sneak up and club someone one of these days.

#3 Boise State Broncos @ San Jose State Spartans (+40) (LOSS)
48 points? Jeeze. It wasn’t that close, the Broncos held off the dogs late, as they didn’t put up a point in the 4th quarter. In fact, they only scored a single touchdown in the 2nd half, early in the 3rd quarter, and seemed content to just run out the clock. Makes sense.

#24 Oregon State Beavers (pk) @ Washington Huskies (LOSS)
Double overtime loss, in a pick-em game. Yeah, that’s tough, but the Huskies deserved to win late, and it’s tough to argue with what should have happened. The Beavers didn’t do well in overtime, but managed a couple big play touchdowns with all odds against them (all odds except it was the huskies defense which ups the odds in your favor). Anyway, after their second gift TD, they decided they had better try to win it. The pass fell incomplete – I lost – the Huskies win by a point.

Review of NCAA Picks for Week 7 2010 originally appeared on Lucky Lester Free Football Picks on October 18, 2010. Remember you can also Tweet This.

It didn’t go like I was hoping, after a few winning weeks in a row got my confidence in that uncomfortable cocky zone, a nice slap in the face 4-7-1 Week 6 brought me back to reality. I had a couple nice calls, but unlike the norm, the bad outweighed the good. Here’s the review.

Alabama-Birmingham Blazers (+13) @ Central Florida Knights (Loss)
UAB got crushed so bad I can’t even dig into what I was thinking. I was dead wrong about this one, no doubt, and going away from the home team this early in the week was a poor decision. It didn’t start my week out right, that’s for sure.

#6 Nebraska Cornhuskers (-11.5) @ Kansas State Wildcats (WIN)
This one seemed like a gimmie, the Wildcats were lucky to be undefeated this long, and the Cornhuskers had proven to be a beast when playing well. Toughness won out here, as the Cornhuskers throttled the Wildcats.

Connecticut Huskies @ Rutgers Scarlet Knights (+6) (WIN)
The Knights took the victory on Friday night, giving the home teams a 2-1 record during the in-week, non-Saturday football games. The Knights needed to pitch a 2nd half shut out and score 10 points in the 4th quarter to get their win, but they did. 27-24 over the Huskies.

Central Michigan (+22.5) @ Virginia Tech Hokies (Loss)
I was hoping those 14 fourth quarter points the Chipps finally put up would be good enough for a late cover, but I was foiled again. The Hokies kept the foot on the pedal and sniped 14 fourth quarter points of their own to win this contest by 24. Just missed!

UCLA Bruins (+7.5) @ California Golden Bears (Loss)
The Cal Bears destroyed UCLA. I knew the Bruins weren’t that good, but I certainly didn’t think they were this bad. The Bears played awesome, and maybe, just maybe, this is their year to do it from start to finish? Doubt it, but I’m telling you there’s a chance.

Alabama Crimson Tide (-6.5) @ South Carolina Gamecocks (Loss)
The Gamecocks didn’t just upset the Tide, they beat ‘em up. The fought off the comeback attempt and won every single quarter except the final one, they tied in the 4th. South Carolina did a good job of making Alabama think they needed to pass… Yes, that’s right, I think this game was coach-error. Alabama runs the ball, they do it well, and while they weren’t getting the normal 6 yards per tote they normally do, they were doing good enough to keep the chains moving. The Gamecocks certainly did a great job, they might have won anyway, and they definitely would have covered – but I still think ‘Bama wins if they go gung-ho for the run game.

UNLV Runnin’ Rebels (+28) @ West Virginia Mountaineers (Loss)
The Mountaineers won by 39. I was either wrong or the Rebels played like dump. One or the other or both – either way, this game was one of my 7 losses on Saturday – and it didn’t feel good.

Michigan State Spartans (+4.5) @ Michigan Wolverines (WIN)
I believe I said something like, “The Spartans have a defense, the Wolverines don’t, so Sparty will win on Saturday.” I know it wasn’t exactly that, but no need to go back and find the exact quote when I can just summarize the wordy original. Denard Robinson is still good, maybe the best player in the country, so don’t go nuts with all the “here’s the probably with Denard” crap. He threw a couple bad passes, the Spartans were the best defense Michigan faces until Ohio State – and there you have it, an easy win for the visitor.

Pittsburgh Panthers (+6) @ Notre Dame Fighting Irish (Push)
The Panthers scored in the 4th, and looked like they took all the momentum form the Irish. After a 17-3 first half, Notre Dame didn’t put another touchdown on the board and Pitt scored two –but the poorly played 1st half was too much to come back from as the Panthers got me the push with a 6 point loss.

Clemson Tigers (+3) @ North Carolina Tar Heels (Loss)
I guess it’s not this week, huh? The Tar Heels got some bad news this weekend, 3 of their best players will be gone for the season, but the good news is they won without them… again. The Tigers had more yards, better per carry averages, better 3rd down conversion rate, and didn’t get hurt by the turnover – but those 9 penalties were big ones and the Tar Heels came out with a 5 points win. Just missed this one.

#3 Oregon Ducks (-35.5) @ Washington State Cougars (Loss)
Dang, the Cougars are getting better and better, and the Ducks seemed disinterested for much of this contest. It didn’t help my cause when the Ducks starting QB went out for the game, but still, I don’t know if I would have covered with Thomas in the game. Costa put up great numbers for the Ducks, but Oregon just gave up too many big plays to WSU.

Arizona State Sun Devils (+3) @ Washington Huskies (WIN)
I said the Sun Devils were better than the Huskies, they were. This one wasn’t really in question after the first few minutes. Washington is about as up and down as college football teams get, but ASU’s solid defense and consistent offense helped the Dawgs get beat.

NCAA FREE PICKS Week 6 2010 REVIEW – College Football Picks Review originally appeared on Lucky Lester Free Football Picks on October 12, 2010. Remember you can also Tweet This.

NCAA Football Week 5 2010 REVIEW – Free College Football Picks: My third straight strong winning week in the college game is getting me some nice publicity on that front, Bill Clinton calls me the best free capper on the net! All right, Bill doesn’t say anything about me, but people are digging my winning picks anyway– no doubt about it! I had a rough start with that crazy Thursday Night game, but ended up in a push. The Thursday Night game wasn’t as happy-go-lucky as Utah State destroyed the crusty skeleton of the BYU Cougars. After that it was all pretty nice, though – a 7-3 ending to my week was nice. Here’s the review…

Texas A&M Aggies (+3) @ Oklahoma State Cowboys (PUSH)
This game had so many touchdowns, so many interceptions, so many passes, I thought it was some kind of passing league and/or 8 man football. It wasn’t just your normal Big 12 game between two non-defense playing schools. And it ended in a push, what do you know.

BYU Cougars (-4.5) @ Utah State Aggies (LOSS)
I don’t think I overestimate the Aggies, so I’m pretty sure it’s me overestimating the Cougars. They beat the Huskies to open the season, and while I wouldn’t say Washington is good, they aren’t bad either. Am I going to have to write off the Cougars? It will take me a few weeks until I feel like I have a solid feel for them, that’s for sure.

Miami Hurricanes (-3) @ Clemson Tigers (WIN)
The Hurricanes were up by covering distance for the rest of the game after their 3rd touchdown midway through the 2nd quarter. Still, their star quarterback, Jacory Harris, had two more interceptions on the season – and if he doesn’t limit those turnovers, lesser teams will be able to hang with the Canes.

Temple Owls (-4) @ Army Black Knights (WIN)
I have to be honest here, I thought the Owls would end up spanking the Black Knights, but it wasn’t until the final seconds ticked off the clock that Temple’s win, and cover, were a sure thing. Maybe Army is better than I thought they were.

Ohio State Buckeyes (-17) @ Illinois Fighting Illini (LOSS)
I should have been worried about this pick when I saw that 76% of the public agreed with my take on the situation. And maybe history does have something to say about now, eh? Check this out from my original game preview, “Now, historically, the Fighting Illini have been a tough road trip for Ohio State – despite being ranked at the top of the college football charts just about every season, the Buckeyes haven’t won in Illinois by more than 10 points since 1998.” – Yeah, history ousts me again!

Virginia Tech Hokies (-3.5) @ North Carolina State Wolfpack (WIN)
Well this game was a tough one, the Hokies scored late to go up 4 and a late interception return touchdown made it an 11-point contest. Either way, the Hokies beat a good NC State team here – maybe they’re back? Could be decent value going forward.

Navy Midshipmen @ Air Force Falcons (-10) (LOSS)
Another history game that got my goat this weekend. And this is where I kick myself for ignoring my own “value meter” – here’s an excerpt from my preview… “This is one of those picks where it’s hard to go with my gut because ALL THE VALUE is on the Navy Midshipmen. Look at the history between these two clubs (something that matters at least a little bit in the college game, with all the rivalries, especially like this) – This game has been decided by more than 11 points just once in the last 9 years. It’s been decided by 7 points or less seven different times during that time frame. Impressive. Navy has covered the spread 7 straight times and 9 times in the last 10 meetings dating back to, you guessed it, 2000” – Yeah, tough to stomach – and what do you know, it was close, the game I mean, and that 10 point spread was never covered.

Washington State (+27.5) @ UCLA Bruins (WIN)
I might have missed on a couple, but I destroyed this one. There were some big red-flags coming from the Bruins and I paid attention to every single one of them. Not only did WSU cover, but they damn near upset the Bruins. Right on the button, here.

Arizona State Sun Devils (+3.5) @ Oregon State Beavers (WIN)
I like this outcome, the Rodgers brothers are fun to watch, always rooting for them, my red-headed cousin is a Beaver for life (even owns a Beaver-bus he drives to all the home games- and some road contests), so I have a little rooting interest – when I bet against them, it’s nice to see them still win. So this was the best of all worlds, a field goal difference between the teams gives me the win, gives the Beavers the win, and all that’s left is ASU losing, and that’s okay, because they have some of the most beautiful girls on any campus in the country. There it is.

Georgia Bulldogs (-5) @ Colorado Buffaloes (LOSS)
The Bulldogs suck, my bad on this one – I gave you 7 winners, 3 losers, and what crap-fest game I like to call Georgia – I had no idea they were this terrible. I feel almost as bad as they are.

Florida Gators @ Alabama Crimson Tide (-7.5) (WIN)
How about them Bamer boys? “If Alabama comes out with that same kind of passion they had in the 2nd half last week, they’ll win this game 35-13.” – Yeah, I thought it’d be a little closer, but this was Florida, and the Gators aren’t all that amazing this season. And the Tide came out with that passion… 31-6 is close to 35-13, so I need some credit there.

Washington Huskies (+10.5) @ USC Trojans (WIN)
You can say what you want about the Huskies getting a couple lucky plays late and getting that last minute field goal to win was big for the win, something that doesn’t happen every week – but Jake Locker was awesome, and if his receivers would have caught all the balls that hit them in the hands, this game wouldn’t have been this close. Still, I did write this in my preview: “After some low-level competition in their first four contests, the Trojans will probably have their hands full with the Huskies. I wouldn’t be surprised if the Dawgs got the upset, but even if they can’t take it to the Trojans on the road, I still like them to cover the number.” – Nothing lucky about that.

NCAA Football Week 5 2010 REVIEW – Free College Football Picks originally appeared on Lucky Lester Free Football Picks on October 5, 2010. Remember you can also Tweet This.

Free NCAA Picks Review for Week 4 2010: College Football Predictions: (10-7) I had some ups, some downs, some smiles and frowns – what they hell am I doing, this isn’t a Dr. Seuss book, I’m talking the review of the NCAA for Week 4, and I came out on top even though I had to fight through the slop…. Damn it!!!! Here’s the review.

Miami Hurricanes (-3) @ Pittsburgh Panthers (WIN)
The Hurricanes walked all over the Panthers, covering for me easily. It was pretty apparent that these two teams were very different in terms of talent and physicality.

TCU Horned Frogs (-17.5) @ Southern Mississippi Golden Eagles (LOSS)
Oh, it’s tough when a missed extra point near the end of the game separates you from a cover. Why does that happen? Non-bettors get to watch a game like this and say, “ha, he missed the extra point, no biggy, they still win by 17” where guys like you and me either jump for joy or kick the wall and hurt your foot. Either way, what a fickle game we play! TCU, by the way, won by 17…

North Carolina State Wolfpack (+8.5) @ Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets (WIN)
NC State was the better team, and Georgia Tech did what they always do, play mediocre football after a good win. The Wolfpack got off to a good start behind Mr. Wilson and they fought off the Yellow Jackets’ surge late.

USC Trojans (-21.5) @ Washington State Cougars (WIN)
Easiest win of the season. Can’t believe this line wasn’t 10-15 points larger.

Alabama Crimson Tide (-7) @ Arkansas Razorbacks (LOSS)
Arkansas played really well in the first half. Or the Tide played like garbage in the first half. Either way, Alabama showed why they are rated #1 by dominating the ball and out-physical-ing the Razorbacks in the 2nd half. I lost, but they held onto #1 with a 4 point victory.

UCLA Bruins (+16.5) @ Texas Longhorns (WIN)
HAHAHAHA!!! This one makes me feel so warm and cuddly inside! #7 Horns go down to my +16.5 bet, that doesn’t happen every week, folks. UCLA sure came to play, and they looked good. Texas, on the other hand, can’t do anything offensively.

Stanford Cardinal (-4.5) @ Notre Dame Fighting Irish (WIN)
Yeah, weird, the Irish aren’t that good. Stanford, on the other hand, can score on any team in the Nation. I hope they get the chance to prove themselves in a big bowl this season, because Andrew Luck is the best pro-prospect quarterback in the Nation.

Idaho Vandals (-7.5) @ Colorado State Rams (LOSS)
How this happened is beyond me. I thought this was an easy one in the bank, then the Vandals came out thinking they didn’t have to play defense against Colorado State – unfortunately for the Vandals, the Rams’ offense has scrimmaged plenty against their own defense, so they were ready for the old no-defense, defense. Idaho not only failed to cover, they gave the Rams what will almost surely be their only win of the season. How kind of them.

Oklahoma Sooners (-13.5) @ Cincinnati Bearcats (LOSS)
The Bearcats played really tough, much better than I thought they had in them, and Oklahoma won but failed to cover. This Sooner team can really climb up and down the charts.

Nevada Wolf Pack (-3.5) @ BYU Cougars (WIN)
Thanks for this one, easy money. BYU isn’t where they once were, which makes sense because they lost some great players last season. Nevada, on the other hand, is one of the Nations’ top 25 teams, don’t read into their name missing from the rankings if they aren’t there again this week.

North Carolina Tar Heels (+1) @ Rutgers Scarlet Knights (WIN)
It was close, but that’s how games are when you don’t have 6 starters on defense and are missing key contributors on offense. But I got it, they won, close is still good in my book.

Georgia Bulldogs (+1) @ Mississippi State Bulldogs (LOSS)
Mississippi State might be for real – there’s more research to do, and a lot of big games yet to be played, but they didn’t just beat Georgia, they made the Bulldogs look bad.

Kentucky Wildcats (+14) @ Florida Gators (LOSS)
Label me wrong here, I get a couple every week – I’ll take this one on the chin.

South Carolina Gamecocks @ Auburn Tigers (-2.5) (WIN)
Auburn’s two touchdown 4th quarter, and South Carolina’s timely turnovers (timely depending on which side you were on, timely for me I guess) ended up being the difference in this one as Auburn took the 8 point lead with 6 minutes left and Steve Spurrier pulled his starting QB (despite the kid going 15-21 with 235 yards 3 touchdowns and no interceptions) and the freshman went 4 for 8 for 70 yards and 2 interceptions, and here I am, calling myself a winner again!

Oregon State Beavers (+17) @ Boise State Broncos (WIN)
Boise State was the better team, and OSU got some help, but they covered – they were in it most of the game – only early did it look like the Beavers wouldn’t be able to hang with Boise. I’ll take it and feel good about it.

West Virginia Mountaineers @ LSU Tigers (-9) (LOSS)
LSU was up 17-0 in the first half, but gave up a touchdown with just 48 seconds to go before halftime. That carried over and early in the 3rd, the Mountaineers scored again. LSU never got into the end zone in the 2nd half but kicked a 4th quarter field goal and held tight on defense to win 20-14. Add that up, subtract this from that, yeah – I didn’t cover that one.

Oregon Ducks (-10.5) @ Arizona State Sundevils (WIN)
Just by the hair on my chinny-chin-chin. But hey, I lost one by a missed extra point, I’ll take this one and not feel like I cheated the jinxed dirt.

Free NCAA Picks Review for Week 4 2010: College Football Predictions originally appeared on Lucky Lester Free Football Picks on September 28, 2010. Remember you can also Tweet This.