West Coast Invasion - bgodder's Blog

bgodder's Blog

West Coast Invasion

Posted on August 12, 2024 at 11:43 AM.

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It�s August Babeeeee!!!! In 3 weeks we are set to begin week zero. This week, as we inch closer and closer to the start of College Football, we are going to start talking about a few different aspects of the upcoming season. Let�s dig in.

Real Time RPI � I spoke a few weeks back on the value of the Sagrin Ratings. Another site to go thru weekly is the Real Time RPI. You can find it by a simple google search. Once on the page, you would click on the predictor link and that will give you a quick prediction on the score. By clicking on the actual game, they have a more in depth breakdown. This includes a margin of error within both teams total and that�s where the money is.

NCAAGAMESIM.COM � Another site to use, however the predictor tool does not become available until week 3. This tool lets you run a quick analysis that gives you a simulated score, but it also gives the history of everyone else�s simulations giving you a breakdown of a breakdown of a something. Can be handy if there are just no signs on a match.

Again, these are both tools and not absolute money. But if watching the Terminator movie series has taught me anything, it to let the computers think and do what they want and use the info wisely.

West Coast Invasion � So a question was recently posed to me concerning all the expansion teams from the West Coast being added to the Big Ten. For those keeping score at home, those teams are USC, UCLA, Washington, and Oregon. I was asked if I thought the physical style of the conference combined with the brutal weather conditions in late season games would be too much for these teams to ever overcome. Then this group of fella�s mocked me when I told them to pump the brakes. I gladly will submit this to you as the reasons why those schools may eventually be upper tier conference teams instead of cellar dwellers.

1) Oregon � I said it previously and I�ll just say it again, while NIL has given me the gift of the College Football video game, it will also bring forth the �Phil Knight 1-Billion-dollar project�. I�m more concerned with this than I am about any Project 2025 that the orange tinted dictator is bringing us this winter. Oregon will be a major player, no matter the conference, until Phil Knight dies. Or maybe just �me too� s some innocent young lady.

2) USC � The stadium has been half full since OJ was a non-murderer. I get that. But in the new age of NIL, who better than Hollywood to lead a resurgence. Lincoln Riley is a top 5 coach, has brought Heisman contention to the program every year and is annually coaching the best team in the West. They play weekly in the Rose Bowl for god sake! USC will be a major player

3) UCLA � Ok, so it is a bit harder to make a case for UCLA. But if you are asking me, as a weekly sports handicapper, to think a college player from Iowa or Penn St is not going to have their heads stuck straight in the ***** clouds of sunny California, then you are not thinking as a 20 year-old college male. This was a Basketball move for sure but UCLA Football will probably end up playing spoiler from time to time.

4) Washington � A program that will probably settle in the top 4-7 every year. But that�s in the 18 team mega conference days. They have ****ty weather at home, so the argument that the Big Ten will chew them up in weather games does not check with this squad.

The last point I�ll make is this. Indiana, Illinois, Purdue, Minnesota, Northwestern, Michigan State, Maryland, and Rutgers are basically College Football chum. They might be decent every now and then and sometimes they can flirt with a conference Championship run but don�t let them ever fool you. The new Big 10 four are better than last Big Ten eight practically every year. There are definitely free wins, even in the mighty Big Ten.