Golden Nuggz 9.9.2009

by Buck Bravo on Sep 9, 2009 3:00 AM CDT in Golden Nuggets

Minnesota is currently favored over Air Force by 4.5 points by the Vegas gurus. After defeating Nicholls State by a score of 72-0, I'd expect Air Force to be the favorite. However, the handicappers keep their jobs because they're good at what they do.
Meanwhile, CollegeFootballSaturday.com predicts a 34-27 Air Force victory.
The Gophers have added Middle Tennessee and Northern Illinois to their 2010 non-conference schedule.
A Syracuse blogger comments on Greg Paulus following last week's game:

Sometimes a team needs a leader that knows how to win, who has experienced what that feels like. In addition, at Duke, he was coached by one of the best coaches in sports, Mike Krzyzewski. You can't be a 3-year starter for Duke without being a competitor and you can't be a successful point guard without being a leader.

Joe Paterno compliments the Minnesota program in discussing his upcoming battle with Syracuse:

Minnesota has got a lot of people back. Minnesota is a solid football team. And for them to have played the way they did and come within one play of beating Minnesota I think was a tribute to, as I said, the staff and the fact that here's a kid who hasn't played football for three or four years - I don't know how long it is - come in there and take over that team, and even though they had a lot of problems early in the game, kept them in it and almost won. So I think they're on their way back. I don't think there's any question about that. They got the right combination up there now.

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Line is down to 3

All of the books have it below 4. It is hovering between 3.5 and 3. It will probably continue to drop until gametime. AF is the smart play here. They look to be hitting on all cylinders while Minnesota still seems to be learning the playbook.

by Garrick on Sep 9, 2009 9:45 AM CDT reply actions

You can

go on Youtube and search for “Air Force 2009” and highlights of the Air Force – Nicholls St. game come up.

Last Saturday’s game tells us nothing. Nicholls State’s players were smaller than the kids on my high school team (I went to school where Brent Moss, Kevin Barry, and John Clay suited up on the varsity).

Also, Air Force is small, but strong and quick. I thought the same thing about Syracuse last weekend. Basically, Air Force had a scrimmage last week. I’m not sure this is a game worth putting money on without more “data points,” to steal a line from the Rencitoman.

by JG2112 on Sep 9, 2009 9:59 AM CDT reply actions

I agree

I liken fans to investors in the stock market. They overreact to both good and bad news. The news on the Gophers is bearish because they underperformed. The news on Air Force is bullish because they overperformed. Normalize the two with strength of opponents and home/away trends and what do you have? No one knows. But I wouldn’t bet on Air Force because of last week. Why would your perception of both teams change because of their respective games which aren’t very related? I would say, whatever you thought before last Saturday should still hold true.

by rencito on Sep 9, 2009 11:21 AM CDT reply actions

To be clear...

A game does serve its purpose as one data point. Any expectations for either team should only move marginally, if at all.

The truth of the matter is we played pretty poorly and still won. On the road. Against a BCS opponent. Will the poor play become the norm or is it a low point? I would argue that it isn’t the norm. Take the Gophers to cover at home against a non-BCS opponent (although the top half of the MWC is better than the Big East, ACC, and arguably the Big 10 and Pac 10).

by rencito on Sep 9, 2009 3:14 PM CDT up reply actions