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01/21/2012 - Philadelphia, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - While the rest of the Southland Conference had the luxury of devoting more time to high school recruits the last two months, everybody agrees they still are chasing Sam Houston State.
Just like they did in the 2011 regular season.
Recruiting dominates December and January for most FCS coaches, but a little something called the NCAA Division I playoffs got in Sam Houston State's way. Not that the national runner-up Bearkats minded.
"We've gotten a really good reception," Sam Houston State head coach Willie Fritz said about the recruiting season. The national signing period begins Wednesday, Feb. 1.
"We had the opportunity to play three weeks on national TV (in the playoffs) and a couple of those games we were the only (FCS) games on TV. It really helped our exposure. We primarily recruit the state of Texas. Even though we had a late start because we played for so long, we feel like we have an opportunity to have a great class."
Sam Houston State, in its second season under Fritz, won its first 14 games before losing to North Dakota State, 17-6, in the national championship game Jan. 7 in Frisco, Texas.
The Bearkats will be returning a veteran squad next season, featuring the likes of running back Timothy Flanders, wide receiver Richard Sincere, quarterback Brian Bell and safety Darnell Taylor.
With only about 12 players expected to comprise next season's senior class, the Bearkats' recruiting class will go 13 to 15 deep. The focus is on the offensive line, where three or four of the potential starters will be seniors. Five prospects already are verbally committed to the class.
"Everybody's heard of us," Fritz said. "They know about the playoff run, they know about being in the championship game. Most of the kids watched us in at least three or four ball games. We were on regional TV also three or four times this season (as well as the three playoff games on the ESPN Networks). There's a lot more recognition of the Sam Houston football brand out there."
While Fritz's coaching brethren in the Southland were thrilled to have the conference represented in the national title game - "I think it's huge for our conference, I think we're all going to benefit in recruiting from it," Central Arkansas coach Clint Conque said - they still have some catching up to do this offseason.
The Bearkats' closest game within conference play was a 21-point win over Central Arkansas, the runner-up, but a playoff team as well.
"Any time that they get those guys back playing at the level they're playing, there's no question, there's a gap that we all have to fill," said McNeese State head coach Matt Viator, whose program also is focusing on offensive linemen in its recruiting class.
"We'll see what happens; each year is a different year. We found that out here through the years. But certainly on paper, what they've done and if they can come back and play at a high level and the coaching staff stays intact, players stay intact, players stay healthy, the whole deal, they're going to be tough to deal with."
"I think the good thing is you kind of know what you have to stop and you know what you have to do," against Sam Houston State, said Stephen F. Austin head coach J.C. Harper, whose recruiting class is focused on defense, especially in the trenches and the secondary.
"That's what they give you. Defensively, they're going to give you man-free and get after you with pressure.
"Offensively, you have to be able to stop the run and, hopefully, you can hang in there when they play-action pass and try to big-play you. But I like the fact that we might be able to match up with our speed.
"Obviously, everybody is chasing them. They have (nearly) everybody back."
That Sam Houston State can no longer be a surprising team after it improved by eight wins from Fritz's first season in 2010 (a 6-5 mark) isn't lost on the Bearkats head coach.
He knows which program is wearing the bull's-eye in the Southland Conference.
"The big thing I talked about with our guys at the team meeting (on Tuesday) is that for us to be considered one of the top FCS programs in the nation we've got to back that year up with another year," Fritz said. "That's what we're shooting for. It was a great run, it was great experience for us, but the last thing we want to be is a flash in the pan. We understand it's going to take more hard work than what we did last year because we aren't going to sneak up on everybody. We're going to get everybody's best shot."
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Many fans thought it was the best side in the nation by the end of last season. This year, the polls have built on Georgia's momentum and granted it the No. 1 preseason ranking, followed by Ohio State and USC. (The Associated Press has the Buckeyes at No. 2; USA Today took the Trojans.)
"To have people believing we have one of the best teams in the nation going into this thing, it's exciting for us," Bulldogs coach Mark Richt told the AP. "I don't think anything is guaranteed, but we certainly have put ourselves in position where at least the college football world thinks we're pretty good."
Georgia Bulldogs - 9.5 wins
There's no question they're good, but the Bulldogs have one of the toughest 12-game schedules in the nation, mostly because they play in the powerhouse Southeastern Conference. Away games at No. 15 Arizona State, No. 7 LSU and No. 10 Auburn loom large, with contests between the hedges versus No. 24 Alabama and No. 18 Tennessee as well as the World's Largest Cocktail Party in Jacksonville versus No.5 Florida.
Ohio State Buckeyes - 10 wins
Like the Bulldogs, the Buckeyes also have a number of tough road contests in 2008. After two scrimmages dressed up as real games versus Youngstown State and Ohio, it's off to face USC. Other tough away games include No.13 Wisconsin in October and No. 20 Illinois in November. Granted, it should be pretty easy sledding at the Horseshoe. In fact, the only ranked team that travels to Columbus is No. 22 Penn State, in October.
USC Trojans - 10.5 wins
A similarly light schedule awaits the Trojans of Southern California, which is why the oddsmakers' total is one win more and the over is currently commanding -150 odds. Pete Carroll's troops only play three ranked teams in 2008, and all of those games are at home. After what should be an easy trip to Virginia to start things off on Aug. 30, the Trojans get two weeks to prepare for Ohio State in Los Angeles. Their two other ranked opponents, No. 21 Oregon and No. 15 Arizona State, visit in consecutive weeks to start the month of October. After that, the competition eases up. Of course, this is the same highly-touted school that lost to Stanford in 2007 and Oregon State in 2006. And don't discount the fact that USC plays its biggest rivals, Notre Dame and UCLA, back-to-back to close out the regular season. On paper, the Trojans are far superior, but motivation will be high for the Irish and Bruins, especially if their historic foes are in national-title contention.
Odds to Win the Heisman Trophy
Tim Tebow, Florida - 7/2
He won it last year, so it's no surprise he's the favorite to do it again, making him just the second player to go back-to-back. Ohio State's Archie Griffin turned the trick in 1974 and 1975, and Tebow's coach, Urban Meyer, is pretty sure his star quarterback can match the Buckeyes legend.
"There has never been anyone quite like him," Meyer told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. "I am very lucky to be his coach."
Chris Wells, Ohio State - 5/1
The man they call "Beanie" was a star recruit out of high school, so it's not like nobody knew who the star tailback was before he rushed for 576 yards as a freshman in 2006 and 1,609 as a sophomore. But perhaps his finest moment came last year versus Michigan when he rumbled for 222 yards and two touchdowns in the Buckeyes' 14-3 victory over the hated Wolverines.
Knowshon Moreno, Georgia - 8/1
If the Bulldogs are to live up to expectations, they'll need a huge effort from their sophomore running back. This might be the last year of college ball for Moreno, who rushed for 1,334 yards and for 14 touchdowns as a freshman, while adding 253 receiving yards on 20 receptions, so expect big things for the man from Belford, N.J.
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It’s time to see how the biggest NFL free agent signings will perform for their news teams. Some will work out and could be the difference that makes a difference in the win column.
We look at the best off-season signings and if they should influence your NFL betting this season. Julius Peppers – Peppers was the biggest prize available on the 2010 NFL free agent market and the Chicago Bears opened the bank to bring his talents to the south side.
Peppers is explosive, he can get around blockers and cause quarterbacks to lose their minds. We all remember the classic Peppers game last year against the Vikings where he hounded Brett Favre into his worst game of the season. Peppers joining the Bears could be the reason Favre retired for good Tuesday morning. In addition to Peppers, the Bears added Chester Taylor to back up Matt Forte, Forte didn’t have the same intensity in 2009 compared to 2008 and bringing in Taylor will challenge Forte to bring it every game or he’ll risk losing carries to Taylor.
Betting on the Bears is a good option this season because of Julius Peppers and to a lesser extent Taylor. Antonio Bryant and Terrell Owens – The Cincinnati Bengals signed two former number one wide receivers to line up with Chad Ocho Cinco. Antonio Bryant had a huge season in 2008 catching 83 passes for over 1200 yards but regressed last season. Playing for the Tampa Bay Bucs last season was a large part of the regression, everyone was bad in TB last season.
Bryant should have a bounce back season if he can win the number two spot from Terrell Owens. If Bryant wins the number 2 WR spot, it will open up a completely new set of problems for the Bengals. If Owens is forced to the bench in favor of Bryant, his attitude will create trouble for Carson Palmer and head coach Marv Lewis. If Owens is the number two receiver, it means Bryant can’t live up to his past numbers and the Bengals are still limited in the passing game. NFL bettors should be wary of laying their money down on what could potentially be the biggest gong show in the league in 2010. 2010 football betting lines for this can be found at this top online sportsbook. Karlos Danby – The Miami Dolphins have a great running back tandem in Ricky Williams and Ronnie Brown, a good young QB in Chad Henne and now the Bill Parcells regime is building a solid defense.
NFL bettors should be wary of laying their money down on what could potentially be the biggest gong show in the league in 2010. Karlos Danby – The Miami Dolphins have a great running back tandem in Ricky Williams and Ronnie Brown, a good young QB in Chad Henne and now the Bill Parcells regime is building a solid defense. They signed away the Arizona Cardinals top linebacker Karlos Danby. In the past two seasons, Danby has totaled 228 tackles, 5 sacks, 3 interceptions and 3 forced fumbles. The Dolphins are the forgotten team of the AFC East with the second longest odds to win the division but with the addition of Karlos Danby and a trade for WR Brandon Marshall makes the Miami Dolphins legitimate contenders in the AFC East and in the NFL’s Eastern Conference.
The Dolphins will make NFL wagering fans a lot of money this season, get in early and enjoy the cash.
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