The NFL is too corporate to ever have us fans saddened a mascot is not catching a flight for a weekend.
The NFL has sterilized its product too thoroughly to ever have an English bulldog so capture our hearts that we hope it squares up with a 2,000-pound Longhorn steer.
The NFL is serving buttered white toast while college football fans descend into the joy of biting down on a Carolina Reaper pepper.
That all comes across as tongue-in-cheek, but it is a fact that Georgia mascot Uga not flying to Texas garnered headlines this week. The overall travel of the trip is just too time-consuming to trust a 2.5-year-old dog, Uga XI, to make and behave, per his handler.
That’s logical and probably in the best interests of the dog, but Bevo and Uga have some unfinished business.
Bevo is not here for this mascot meeting. #HookEm pic.twitter.com/KXgaQzGm0W
— Danny Davis (@_dannydavis) January 2, 2019
It is fair to note that this is a new dog, but some things are assumed to be passed down, right?
Of all the quirks of our glorious sport — from mustard bottles in Tennessee to Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty relaxing at halftime more weeks than not to the chaos of Sunday line movement — let’s not forget to properly appreciate our live mascots when making college football picks.
The NFL has no Uga, no Bevo, no Ralphie, no Reveille, no Mike the Tiger.
Now then, to the football of Week 8 …
College football betting news for Week 8
- Long Longhorn Value
- Genuine Playoff Implications
- Tuesday pod recap
- Bonus Bet from Douglas
- Bonus Bet from Douglas, pt. ii
- A bet for every Saturday window
- Saturday pod teaser
Douglas's CFB news and notes
Long Longhorn Value
If you are considering betting on Texas this weekend, particularly now that the line has steamed up to -5 on Friday afternoon, there may be a better angle to ponder.
Georgia’s defense has been a bit vulnerable against quality passing games, ranking No. 87 in the country in dropback success rate against. Star Texas receiver Isaiah Bond looks likely to play, and his availability makes it more probable that quarterback Quinn Ewers will find a big moment or two.
If you think the Longhorns are going to cover this spread approaching a touchdown, take some time to consider Quinn Ewers at +2,000 to win the Heisman Trophy at BetMGM.
Yes, Ewers missed two games this season with an abdominal injury, and obviously, his stats will be somewhat depressed as a result. However, stats matter to the Heisman only because they so easily frame a narrative.
It will be just as easy to frame a narrative around the quarterback of the No. 1 team in the country leading a win against the closest thing we have to a dynasty in the 2020s. Ewers would then be in the spotlight for the final two weeks of the season, first heading to Texas A&M for the regular-season finale, followed by a showdown against one of the top defenses in the country in the SEC Championship Game.
The path is there for Ewers to take a primary spot in the Heisman conversation, and that path starts with winning this weekend. If expecting Bevo to do so, then recognize this bigger value.
Genuine Playoff Implications
Plenty of games have massive Playoff implications this weekend. Georgia vs. Texas and Alabama vs. Tennessee will both lend needed clarity to the SEC title race. The loser of that latter game might be out of the genuine Playoff conversation.
But there is a third SEC game to have an eye on. LSU vs. Arkansas at 7:00 ET on ESPN could be a tricky spot for Mike the Tiger. LSU is a short 2.5-point favorite coming off a wild overtime win last week against Mississippi.
A letdown now would throw the Tigers onto the wrong side of the Playoff conversation, falling to 5-2 with road games against Texas A&M and Alabama awaiting. Remember, only one season since 2014 would have seen a three-loss team make a 12-team Playoff. LSU cannot afford to slip up against a foe like Arkansas, one bad enough to overlook but good enough to make you pay for it.
The Razorbacks have struggled to finish quality drives this season, ranking No. 114 in the country with 2.54 points per quality drive. If they turn quality drives into touchdowns early on Saturday, tune in to see if Brian Kelly’s angst becomes visible.
College Football 134 Tuesday recap
“College Football 134” records twice a week for a pile of reasons. One of them is to try to give you a headstart on some weekend lines.
Giving out the Colorado moneyline was shocking enough, but to get it at +143 when it is now down to +115 proved the value of that surprise decision. Taking Miami at -4 versus Louisville bodes better now that the Hurricanes are 5-point favorites.
I caught @Covers_Caley genuinely off-guard with my final pick on the Tuesday podcast. And I stand by this Colorado moneyline logic so thoroughly, it ended up in this week's @Covers Best Bets column, too.
— Douglas Farmer (@D_Farmer) October 18, 2024
Hell hasn't frozen over.
I just see value against Arizona's defense. pic.twitter.com/uNVaD8DXNR
There is value to be had in subscribing and listening to that Tuesday episode as it hits your feeds on Tuesday nights or perhaps on your Wednesday morning commute.
⚡️Listen to Tuesday's episode of the College Football 134 pod here ⚡️
Bonus Bet from Douglas
According to a Friday morning update from BetMGM, 67% of the betting handle and 64% of the tickets have been on the Under for East Carolina vs. Army, yet it has stuck at 51.5 all week. Some books opened at 52.5 on Sunday, quickly falling to 51.5 and remaining there.
The usual instinct is to enjoy an Under involving a service academy and its triple-option offense, knowing drives should be long and arduous, thereby running the clock but not the scoreboard.
Not with this version of Army. The Black Knights are explosive and relentless, and scoring is not their worry. Now facing a Pirates defense that is prone to giving up explosive pass plays, Army should hit a couple.
On the other side of the ball, East Carolina has struggled mightily, but it will get a bounty of chances. Army is not trying to eat up the clock this season. It is trying to score.
The fact that pushes this bet from “note on the legal pad” to “include it in the Friday afternoon column” is that betting split from BetMGM. The money is on the Under, the second-most bet Under of the week, but the number has not moved.
🏈Bonus Bet from Douglas: East Carolina at Army Over 51 (-112 at DraftKings)🏈
Bonus Bet from Douglas, pt. ii
First and foremost, this is a tough spot for Hawai’i.
The Rainbow Warriors were giving Boise State plenty to handle late last Saturday, trailing only 13-7 a few minutes into the fourth quarter. However, the waves beat upon the rocks for too long, Ashton Jeanty scored his second touchdown, and the Broncos’ dream season continued.
It would be natural for that moment to deflate Hawai’i a bit this week.
More pertinently, the Warriors are too exposed to explosive plays to expect to keep Washington State in check this weekend, particularly against explosive rushes. Jeanty’s first score last week was a 54-yard jaunt, and it would not be too shocking to see the Cougars enjoy similar moments.
Backing a three-possession favorite can always be worrisome, but given the Warriors’ struggles at finishing drives — No. 118 in the country in points per quality drive at 2.39, per cfb-graphs — any garbage-time drives hold less assurance of costing us.
🏈Bonus Bet from Douglas: Washington State -18.5 (-108 at DraftKings)🏈
A Bet for Every Saturday Window
You do not need to always have a bet down. You shouldn’t. You should bet only when you see clear value. But if you insist on having at least one piece of action for every moment of Saturday …
12:00 ET — UConn -1.5 vs. Wake Forest (-108 at DraftKings)
3:30 ET — Alabama at Tennessee 1H Under 28.5 (-110 at BetMGM)
4:00 ET — Maryland +7.5 vs. USC (-115 at BetMGM)
And remember folks, we might be fading USC the rest of the season.
— Douglas Farmer (@D_Farmer) October 18, 2024
Is Lincoln Riley a coach who can keep a locker room focused when all greater dreams are dead? He has never had to before. pic.twitter.com/duqUCyeL7B
7:30 ET — Georgia 1H moneyline at Texas (+152 at FanDuel)
After Dark — UNLV Team Total Over 34.5 at Oregon State (+100 at BetMGM)
College Football 134 Saturday sneak peek
There is not a question Douglas Farmer and Andrew Caley would not answer during the Saturday morning live show. All you have to do is ask it.
Preferably, it is about college football. Curious about Wisconsin at Northwestern? Have at ‘em. Wondering about Indiana’s viability against Nebraska’s defense? Great. Is this the first time you have ever heard of the Dakota Marker? We are here for you.
If you want to ask for life advice, what’s the worst that can happen?
Cheers.
Check out the College Football 134 podcast Saturday pregame show at 9 a.m. ET on the Covers YouTube channel.
Not intended for use in MA.
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