Published: Friday, November 11, 2011

By MATTHEW OSBORNE
mosborne@trentonian.com

I am taking a week off from making excuses about games that didn’t cover the spread for some reason.

Instead, I want to take this time to remind everyone that the Penn State scandal is not about football.

It’s also not about Joe Paterno and all his wins, and it’s not about whether someone will throw a beer bottle at Mike McQueary’s head if he coaches on the sidelines.

It’s not about whether Crisco, Vagisil or whatever sponsor on whatever bowl game will invite the Nittany Lions to play.

This nightmarish situation is about the children who were irreparably harmed.

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-- Follow Matthew Osborne on Twitter @trentonianozzy

Published: Thursday, November 03, 2011

By MATTHEW OSBORNE
mosborne@trentonian.com

I can’t begin to count the number of times my father and I have watched a game together while doing the math over and over, only to come up with the same answer.

“You know, Pops,” I would say, “The only way you can cover now is if some triple-overtime shenanigans happen.”

Usually, that moment never comes. When it finally did last weekend, Pops was on the other side — allegedly the safe side — with USC getting eight points.

As the Trojans battled Stanford and led most of the game, it looked impossible for USC not to cover, even if Andrew Luck heroically led the Cardinal back.

But he did, and USC didn’t cover.

Some folks like Pops salvaged a push, but others had the Trojans with 7½ and left with a loss snatched from almost certain victory.

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-- Follow Matthew Osborne on twitter @trentonianozzy

Published: Thursday, October 27, 2011

By MATTHEW OSBORNE
mosborne@trentonian.com

It is amazing how a college football day can ebb and flow.

Last week, I felt like I was doing great, but as I watched the games unfold in Hooters of St. Petersburg, Fla., I needed a ridiculous over cover from Florida State and Maryland just to have a winning day.

With two minutes left in the FSU-Maryland game – a blowout, mind you – I needed two more touchdowns. The Seminoles got to a first-and-goal but didn’t even have to score. But they did, and they left 48 seconds on the clock.

Somehow in that time, the Terps ran the kickoff back to near midfield, so I figured I had a small chance. Then they ran the ball on first down, leaving me feeling a little ill.

But oddly, they rushed up the line for another play and threw deep, completing a pass to the 15. They scored on the next play with about five seconds left, giving me an improbable cover, one my father called “a gift from the gods.”

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-- Follow Matthew Osborne on twitter @trentonianozzy

Published: Thursday, October 20, 2011

Last week, I said I was hoping to break even. Incredibly, I did.

But some people had better weeks than I did, like the guy who hit a 15-team parlay at Delaware Park on a $5 bet to win $100,000. He is the first person to hit the parlay since it was introduced at the casino in 2009. The house is ahead since then, though, as $370,000 had been wagered on the 15-teamers with no return prior to last week.

Some people had worse weeks, meanwhile, like those who bet on South Carolina laying three points. Steve Spurrier — as he is wont to do in such situations — took an intentional safety near the end of the game while leading 14-10. You do the math.

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Published: Thursday, October 13, 2011

Much like the casino industry in New Jersey, I am just happy to (almost) break even.

After a few weeks of just getting torched, I balanced the ship a little last week and at least didn’t bury myself too deep with no hope of return.

I don’t love the spreads this week, as many of the matchups pit untrustworthy favorites against impotent underdogs. So I went heavy on overs in an attempt to steal a win or two on the long road back.

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Follow Matthew Osborne on Twitter @trentonianozzy