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Investigations at UNC tarnish anticipation
One of the most intriguing games of the weekend is in jeopardy of being heavily tainted.
North Carolina is taking on LSU in Atlanta with a chance to validate itself as a contender, but the Tar Heels have absolutely no idea who is playing where right now.
Between the big agent party in South Beach that has senior stars Marvin Austin and Greg Little under investigation, and Butch Davis’ live-in tutor for his son being accused of academic shenanigans, the team is in disarray.
No depth chart was announced on Monday, and Davis has to be frustrated that his most promising season in Chapel Hill could be derailed before it starts.
It speaks to a major problem that coaches have these days – you can’t watch everyone’s every move at every moment. You’re still dealing with kids, and there are a lot of people who want a piece of these guys.
All that stems from the fact that there is so much money and fandom tied up with college football and basketball. So many people’s livelihoods are dependent on these kids that some people will do anything to keep the train moving so they can ride the rails with them.
There are also a lot of people who take these games way too seriously.
Case in point, last year’s midnight move by Lane Kiffin to leave Tennessee and take over at USC. When all those fans gathered at the athletic center, they didn’t come to burn mattresses.
They were looking for Kiffin.
Sadly, if they had gotten a hold of him, there is no telling what they would have done. Campus security did a good job of getting him out of there.
I’m all for being true to your school, but that’s ridiculous.
In any case, it’s a shame that UNC has to deal with all these problems before the first game. Everyone would rather see their full squad go at it with the Tigers on Saturday night.
Interestingly, the line has remained stable, with LSU still a 1-point favorite on neutral turf. Look for movement there if UNC gets bad news.
We’ll see what develops from the NCAA this week for the Tar Heels.
* * *
The most unstable point spread this week comes from the aforementioned Middle Tennessee State. After losing their quarterback Dwight Dasher, the Blue Raiders went from being 4 ½ point favorites against Minnesota to 3-point underdogs, a rare seismic shift in a spread.
If the quarterback meant that much, you almost have to love Minnesota as the pick there. If Dasher was so good, wouldn’t the Gophers be something like 7- or 10-point favorites?
Since the game is Thursday night and I will likely run my picks column in Friday’s edition, I’ll go on record to say I like Minny’s chances, even though I like MTSU’s squad overall. College football is a quarterback-driven sport, and the backup will need to prove himself.
- Matthew Osborne
North Carolina is taking on LSU in Atlanta with a chance to validate itself as a contender, but the Tar Heels have absolutely no idea who is playing where right now.
Between the big agent party in South Beach that has senior stars Marvin Austin and Greg Little under investigation, and Butch Davis’ live-in tutor for his son being accused of academic shenanigans, the team is in disarray.
No depth chart was announced on Monday, and Davis has to be frustrated that his most promising season in Chapel Hill could be derailed before it starts.
It speaks to a major problem that coaches have these days – you can’t watch everyone’s every move at every moment. You’re still dealing with kids, and there are a lot of people who want a piece of these guys.
All that stems from the fact that there is so much money and fandom tied up with college football and basketball. So many people’s livelihoods are dependent on these kids that some people will do anything to keep the train moving so they can ride the rails with them.
There are also a lot of people who take these games way too seriously.
Case in point, last year’s midnight move by Lane Kiffin to leave Tennessee and take over at USC. When all those fans gathered at the athletic center, they didn’t come to burn mattresses.
They were looking for Kiffin.
Sadly, if they had gotten a hold of him, there is no telling what they would have done. Campus security did a good job of getting him out of there.
I’m all for being true to your school, but that’s ridiculous.
In any case, it’s a shame that UNC has to deal with all these problems before the first game. Everyone would rather see their full squad go at it with the Tigers on Saturday night.
Interestingly, the line has remained stable, with LSU still a 1-point favorite on neutral turf. Look for movement there if UNC gets bad news.
We’ll see what develops from the NCAA this week for the Tar Heels.
* * *
The most unstable point spread this week comes from the aforementioned Middle Tennessee State. After losing their quarterback Dwight Dasher, the Blue Raiders went from being 4 ½ point favorites against Minnesota to 3-point underdogs, a rare seismic shift in a spread.
If the quarterback meant that much, you almost have to love Minnesota as the pick there. If Dasher was so good, wouldn’t the Gophers be something like 7- or 10-point favorites?
Since the game is Thursday night and I will likely run my picks column in Friday’s edition, I’ll go on record to say I like Minny’s chances, even though I like MTSU’s squad overall. College football is a quarterback-driven sport, and the backup will need to prove himself.
- Matthew Osborne
posted by Trentonian U at
4:53 PM
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