Washington Nationals (160) MLB Odds – Sun August 10th ’08 2:05p
The underdog Washington Nationals should be relieved to not have to face C.C. Sabathia or Ben Sheets after those two studs shut them out the past two days, so look for an improved offensive performance vs. the Milwaukee Brewers today. The Nationals were on a nice 6-1 run coming into this series, averaging 6.00 runs per game during that stretch, and that production could return today vs. the slumping Manny Parra. Parra had been a stud for most of the year, but he has suddenly turned in back-to-back poor efforts, allowing a total of 11 earned runs over 11.1 innings in those last two starts. He was also roughed up the first time he faced the Nats this season, allowing six earned runs while lasting just 4.1 frames. John Lannan continues to defy the experts, as he somehow has a 3.55 ERA in 22 starts despite just ordinary stuff. This has made Lannan a nice play as an underdog this year, and today is no exception. Also, he has been even better on the road where he is 4-5 but with an amazing 2.57 ERA in 13 road appearances. If the Brewers resume their hitting with this dropdown in class of the opposing starter, Lannan should even up his road mark at a great price here. MLB Free Pick: Nationals +160 – Courtesy of LT Profits
 
Los Angeles Dodgers @ San Francisco Giants u7.0 (-125) MLB Odds – Sun August 10th ’08 4:05p
Both Chad Billingsley of the Los Angeles Dodgers and Matt Cain of the San Francisco Giants are in peak form right now, so look for the bats for both teams to be kept quiet today. Billingsley has allowed three runs or less in five straight starts, including allowing a total of three runs in 21.2 innings over his last three efforts. This lowers his ERA for the entire season to 3.01, and Billingsley is among the National League leaders in strikeouts with 151 in just 143.2 innings. In his only other start against the Giants this year, he tossed a Complete Game five-hit shutout. Similarly, Caim has also allowed three runs or less in five straight starts, and he has allowed a grand total of two earned runs over 22.2 innings in his last three outings. Cain now has a 3.60 ERA for the season and he has allowed two runs or less in four of his last five career starts vs. the Dodgers. The last time he faced them, he allowed just one earned run in seven innings of a tough-luck 2-0 loss. Do not be surprised if this score today closely resembles that last effort. MLB Free Pick: Dodgers, Giants Under 7 (-125) – Courtesy of LT Profits

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Article Courtesy of Ted Sevransky, A Professional Football Handicapper Featured on Touthouse.com. If you are interested in betting on NFL Football this season and need Winning NFL Picks, be sure to Buy Ted’s Expert NFL Football Picks and make this season a winning one guaranteed!

2008 Green Bay Packers NFL Football Predictions
Overview: The Brett Favre saga is finally over in Green Bay, as the legendary signal caller was traded to the Jets, ending his long tenure with the Packers.  Favre had started 275 consecutive games for Green Bay – new starting QB Aaron Rodgers was in third grade when Favre’s streak began.  For a team that won 13 regular season games last year, one overtime loss away from reaching the Super Bowl, Favre’s absence is clearly the single biggest question mark heading into August.
 
Green Bay was exceptionally healthy last year, losing the fewest starters to injury of any team in the league.  They also benefitted from two additional factors not likely to repeat themselves in 2008.  First, the Packers played an extraordinarily weak schedule, facing only one eventual playoff team after Week 3 of the season.  My numbers show the Packers having faced the second easiest schedule in the NFL in ’07, with only Seattle facing an easier slate.  Secondly, the Packers won just about every close contest in 2007, finishing 5-1 in games decided by a touchdown or less.
 
Offense: Talk about a pressure filled situation!  Quarterback Aaron Rodgers got the nod from management and the coaching staff as the starter after three years spent largely holding a clipboard on the sidelines.  Rodgers stock plummeted on draft day after a stellar senior year at Cal under Jeff Tedford’s tutelage.  Tedford has a long and storied history of developing great college quarterbacks who fail to live up to expectations at the professional level. 
 
Rodgers did play well in his one key stint off the bench last Fall, driving the Packers down the field repeatedly in their loss at Dallas after Favre got hurt.  Highly touted second round rookie Brian Brohm (Louisville) is the backup and former LSU star Matt Flynn is the third stringer – this team has absolutely no veteran experience at the quarterback position.
 
The Packers have solid skill position talent.  Running back Ryan Grant is coming off a breakout campaign in which he averaged more than five yards per carry, while Brandon Jackson looks to rebound off a disappointing injury plagued rookie campaign.  Wide receiver Greg Jennings emerged into stardom last Fall, averaging a whopping 17.4 yards per catch while notching a dozen touchdown receptions.  Donald Driver, James Jones, Ruvell Martin and top draft choice Jordy Nelson out of Kansas State all should catch their fair share of passes in this modified West Coast offense.
 
One area of strength for Green Bay is at the offensive tackle position, where the Packers have a pair of bookends in Chad Clifton and Mark Tauscher.  While both are nine year veterans on the wrong side of 30, neither has shown signs of slowing down just yet.  The interior of the line is another matter entirely.  Green Bay finished 21st in the NFL in rushing yardage last year, and neither guard position nor the center spot is fully settled heading into camp.
 
Defense: The Packers held ten different opponents to 17 points or less last year, winning all ten of those ballgames.  Defensive coordinator Bob Sanders depends on getting a significant pass rush from his front four, coupled with physical press coverage from his cornerbacks – this defense does not blitz very much at all.  A big concern for Green Bay on defense is their depth, both on the line and in the secondary, the two key pieces in Sanders’ gameplan.
 
On the line, defensive end Aaron Kampman remains one of the best pass rushers in the game, with an NFL high 27.5 sacks over the last two seasons.  Questions persist on the other side, however, where Cullen Jenkins wore out down the stretch last year, while Kabeer Gbaja-Biamila is a situational pass rusher only.  2007 first rounder Justin Harrell was a non-factor at tackle as a rookie, but he’ll need to step up now that Corey Williams has been traded to Cleveland.  Ryan Pickett was a solid run stuffer up the middle last year, a first round talent who struggled mightily at the start of his career in St Louis.
 
AJ Hawk and Nick Barnett possess exceptional speed at linebacker, flying all over the field to make plays.  Big plays, however, were few and far between from this unit, thanks in part to the fairly conservative scheme Green Bay employs.  Barnett and Hawk combined for only three interceptions, one forced fumble and 4.5 sacks between them!  Free agent addition Brandon Chillar will compete with Brady Popinga for the remaining starting outside linebacker position.
 
Charles Woodson and Al Harris are both in their eleventh season in the NFL, on the wrong side of 30.  That being said, neither showed any signs of slowing down last year, and both excel in Sanders pressing coverage gameplan.  Behind the starters is a major depth problem – if the Packers suffer cornerback injuries, their defense will be in trouble.  Free safety Nick Collins has never lived up to expectations and could be pressed for playing time by last year’s rookie standout Aaron Rouse. 
 
Schedule: Last year, the Packers faced the second easiest schedule in all of football, helping to propel them to a 13-3 record and a first round playoff bye.  Their opposing slate is noticeably tougher this time around – in the NFC, only San Francisco and Washington face a tougher group of opponents based on this year’s season Over/Under win totals.  Green Bay faces a particularly tough stretch mid-season, with their home game against the Colts on October 19th their only home game in a five week span that includes road games at Seattle, Tennessee and Minnesota.

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Dallas Cowboys vs. San Diego Chargers 10:00 ET-Saturday August 9th/2008
The National Football League continues its first week of the preseason this weekend allowing NFL bettors the opportunity to sink their teeth into some action other than baseball. On Saturday night, two of the better franchises in the league face off when the Dallas Cowboys travel to Qualcomm Stadium to take on the San Diego Chargers. Both teams have been stellar in recent years in the preseason, as Dallas is 5-2-1 SU and 5-3 ATS the past two seasons, while San Diego has gone 5-3 SU and ATS during that same stretch.

2007 ended on a sour note for the visiting Cowboys, as they crashed out of the playoffs with a disappointing 21-17 loss to the eventual Super Bowl champion New York Giants. Tony Romo is back for his third season as the head Cowpoke. It’s put up or shut up time for Romo in ’08, as wins in the regular season and gaudy numbers are all fine and dandy, but another playoff blunder will tarnish his career. Don’t expect to see much of Romo in this game, though. Instead, the focus will be on Brad Johnson and Richard Bartel to keep the offense moving. Expect rookie running backs Tashard Choice and Felix Jones to carry a heavy load this preseason. Keep an eye on the Cowboys starting secondary on Saturday as Terence Newman, Anthony Henry, Adam Jones, and 1st round draft pick Mike Jenkins could be a very dangerous unit.

The Chargers pulled off a minor miracle in the playoffs, marching into Indianapolis and knocking out the Colts by the count of 28-24. Their magical playoff run ended when they ran into the unbeaten Patriots, but HC Norv Turner has justified the firing of old HC Marty Schottenheimer with his playoff push last year. With 17 returning starters from 2007, expect Turner to get a look at some of his young backups in San Diego’s four exhibitions. Look for former LSU RB Jacob Hester to have a big impact on these preseason games as he fights to earn a spot in a backfield that already includes LaDainian Tomlinson and Darren Sproles.

Betting trends in preseason games are always a little awkward, but if used properly, they can earn football bettors some nice coin to go into the regular season with. Take a look at San Diego in this game, as they are 16-12 ATS as home favorites since 1993, while the Cowboys are just 6-17 SU and 8-14 ATS on the road in that same stretch. More recently, the Bolts are 5-1 SU in preseason games they’re favored in. Last season, San Diego went 1-1 ATS and SU in their preseason home games, while the Cowboys were outscored 51-30 in a pair of defeats away from home.

Oddsmakers have installed the hosts as three-point home favorites in this preseason showdown, and the ‘total’ in this game now sits at a relatively high 35.5. These two teams both lit up the scoreboard in the ’07 exhibition season, as the average Chargers game reached 44 points, while the average Cowboys game accumulated 41.3 PPG.

Detroit Tigers (-150) MLB Odds - Friday Aug 8th ’08 7:05p
The Oakland As enter into this game against their hosts Detroit in a big time funk having lost 10 straight games. They are struggling so badly, that I doubt they can take advantage of the aging hurler Kenny Rogers (8-8, 4.98 ERA). The veteran of 19 years , has always pitched well against the As and in 36 starts in this series is 21-7, along with a 4.28 ERA, including a current 7-0 run in his L/9 starts again them. I expect more success is on the agenda for the southpaw against a Oakland team that has has lost seven consecutive series , and 17 of their L/19 tilts since the All-Star break.

Meanwhile, Dallas Braden (2-2, 5.10) fires back for the A’s. Since being called up from the minors in July, Braden is 1-2 with a 5.29 ERA 5 outings including 3 starts. The lefty thrower has been bombed by the Tigers in the past , recording a 0-1 mark along with a 12.34 ERA in three starts . I expect the men from Motown to hammer him again in a contest that will be a one sided affair favoring the host team.

Final notes & Key Trends: Rogers team is 32-12 L/44 when he starts in night games. – Play on Detroit

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2008 Virginia Tech Hokies College Football Predictions Courtesy of Alex Smart, A Professional NCAA Football Handicapper featured on Touthouse.com. If you are betting on college football games this season be sure to buy Alex’s college football picks and guarantee a winning NCAA season.

Virginia Tech Hokies (11-3, 7-1 in 2007, 1st place ACC Coastal)
The campus of Virginia Tech was absolutely rattled following the on-campus murders in the beginning of the fall semester last year. Football was the perfect remedy for a campus and a town that needed to heal. Thank goodness the Hokies went 6-1 at Lane Stadium. Though nothing could be more difficult than healing those wounds from last year, HC Frank Beamer will have a harder time producing victories this year than he did in his 11-win campaign a year ago.

2007 Highlight: How could we pick anything but that first game back on the field? Emotions ran high, as even the East Carolina supporters that made the trip up to Lane Stadium had to cheer when the Hokies ran out of the tunnel. To the Pirates credit, in a game that many thought they were going to get run out of the building in, they stood tough from start to finish. The Hokies won 17-7 that day, but the outcome of the game was second to the fact that it was the first step towards returning to normalcy.

2007 Lowlight: In a rare non-conference match-up between two top-10 teams, Virginia Tech traveled down to Baton Rouge to take on the #2 and eventual BCS National Champion LSU Tigers. An offense that sputtered in their first game against ECU had an even worse outing, but DC Bud Foster and the defense had absolutely no answer for anything that LSU was doing. The Tigers rolled up an unheard of 598 yards of offense against a stout VT defense, and smacked the Hokies 48-7.

Offensive Outlook: Depending on your vantage point, it could be a good or bad thing that the Hokies return both of their quarterbacks from a year ago. Sean Glennon has been known to make too many mistakes, while Tyrod Taylor can be wildly inconsistent. Beamer hopes that both have improved in the off-season, though some in Blacksburg think that Taylor could be redshirted this year to save a year of eligibility. The rest of the skill position players must be replaced from ’07, but the entire offensive line remains in tact. The returning wide receivers have caught a combined five passes in their college careers, and true freshman running back Ryan Williams might be the best option available in the backfield.

Defensive Outlook: It feels like it doesn’t matter who keeps graduating from Virginia Tech. The Hokies will always have a strong defense. Foster has his work cut out for him this year, having lost three starting defensive lineman, All-ACC linebackers Vince Hall and Xavier Adibi, and CB Brandon Flowers from his ’07 squad that was clearly the best defense in the ACC. The captain of this unit will have to be Macho Harris, who is one of the best defensive backs in the nation.

2008 Preview: Suddenly, a game at East Carolina looks a bit more demanding after the Hokies were nearly shocked in the opener last season. If they can get past that, the team should be 3-0 going into the most important stretch of the season. VT plays four out of their next five on the road, including three conference games and a trip into Lincoln to take on the Cornhuskers. It’s going to be a difficult road for the Hokies this year, but if “Beamer-Ball” continues to thrive, they should still be players in the race for the Coastal Division crown.

2008 will be a success if… Foster can replenish his defense in a hurry. There are a lot of highly touted prospects on the defensive side of the ball, but they need to gel quickly for the Hokies to be successful, especially if Glennon and the offense don’t improve upon their 28.7 PPG average from a year ago.

They may not be an 11-win team like they were last year, but it’s very possible for Tech to repeat their 7-1 mark in conference if they can survive that road trip with only one blemish in the middle of the season.

Prediction: 9-3, 1st place in ACC Coastal

2008 Virginia Cavaliers College Football Predictions Courtesy of Alex Smart, An Award Winning Football Handicapper featured on Touthouse.com. If you are betting on college football games this season be sure to purchase Alex’s college football picks and guarantee a winning NCAA season.

Virginia Cavaliers (9-4, 6-2 in 2007, 2nd place in ACC Coastal)
Al Groh and the Virginia Cavaliers have enjoyed success in the ACC over the past few seasons, but that success could be curbed a bit with only 11 starters returning from last year’s team that went 9-4 and played in its first New Year’s Day bowl game in several years. Not only must the team find a way to replace the #2 overall pick in the NFL Draft, DE Chris Long, but three other starters due to academic ineligibility and their top recruit from 2007 due to an off-season arrest.

2007 Highlight: In the final game for the Miami Hurricanes at the Orange Bowl, the Cavs crashed the party by spanking the Canes 48-0. Miami had no answer for Jameel Sewell and the Virginia offense, and couldn’t solve Long and the defense either. The offense racked up 418 yards, while the defense held Miami to 189 yards of offense and forced five turnovers.

2007 Lowlight: Though the season ended up being a success for UVA, it sure didn’t start off on the right foot. The team paid a rare visit to Wyoming, and was absolutely taken behind the woodshed. It was the worst offensive game of the year for Virginia, only mustering five first downs and 100 total yards, including -3 on the ground. Sewell only completed 11 of his 23 passes and threw a pair of interceptions.

Offensive Outlook: The offense took a major hit when Sewell was booted off of the team for his sub-par grades, and now must turn to little-used sophomore Peter Lalich to run the attack. The offensive line in front of Lalich is suspect after losing Brendan Albert to the NFL, but Lalich better find a way to stay healthy. None of the other QBs on the UVA roster have ever thrown a pass. If there’s a highlight in the offense, it’s their depth at running back. Mikell Simpson had a solid season a year ago, and Cedric Peerman returns in ’08 after suffering a season-ending injury in the middle of 2007. The three top receivers from a year ago all return, and they’ll be key in an offense that will look to throw the ball a lot more than usual this season.

Defensive Outlook: Not only do the Cavs have to fill in six holes in the defense from a year ago, they also have to replace former defensive coordinator Mike London. There is absolutely no experience up front on the defensive line. Fortunately, three of the four starting linebackers from a year ago return, and should help turn up the heat on opposing quarterbacks with their unconventional 3-4 look. Junior Vic Hall will have to be the captain of a secondary that also lacks much experience.

2008 Preview: It won’t get any bigger for Virginia than the first game of the season when the USC Trojans come to town. However, the likelihood of pulling off the upset is slim to none. Their second game provides an interesting match-up. London left UVA to become the head coach at Richmond. The Spiders will be in Charlottesville the first week of September. If Virginia is going bowling, they’d better have the necessary six wins in the bag before the last three games of the season, because games against Wake Forest, Clemson, and Virginia Tech will provide about as difficult a stretch as any team will have in the ACC this season.

2008 will be a success if… the team can continue to find ways to win close games. The Cavs played five games that were decided by two points or less last year and won all five of them. That grit and tenacity is a must if Virginia is to head back to a bowl game this year.

Prediction: 6-6, 5th place in the ACC Coastal

2008 North Carolina Tar Heels College Football Predictions Courtesy of Alex Smart, An Award Winning Football Handicapper featured on Touthouse.com. If you are wagering on college football games this season be sure to purchase Alex’s college football picks and guarantee a winning football season.

North Carolina Tar Heels (4-8, 3-5 in 2007, 4th place in ACC Coastal)
The first year of the Butch Davis era wasn’t completely successful, but the North Carolina Tar Heels certainly took steps in the right direction. With 18 starters returning from last season, this could be the year that Chapel Hill is thrilled to be at football games even after the basketball season starts.

2007 Highlight: It’s rare that your highlight of the season is a loss, but it’s very arguable that the most important game of the year for the Tar Heels was a loss to the #7 South Carolina Gamecocks. UNC fell behind 21-3 in the first half, but rallied to make it 21-15 in the 4th. If there was another minute in that game, the Heels probably would’ve scored the game-winning touchdown, but their last drive came up a bit short. It was a defeat, but Davis and the Tar Heels showed the rest of the country that they can play with the big boys.

2007 Lowlight: In one of the few games that Carolina got blown out in all year, the Heels got knocked off by the South Florida Bulls 37-10. It was the worst offensive game of the year for UNC, as they only mustered 164 total yards. Freshman QB TJ Yates threw four INTs and only threw for 85 yards in the defeat.

Offensive Outlook: Ten, count ‘em, ten starters return for the Tar Heels from 2007. Yates will be the catalyst for the offense yet again, and should thrive under the direction of Davis. Fellow sophomore running back Greg Little had two fantastic games down the stretch last season, and could exceed 1,000 yards with ease this year. The offensive line is full of experience, with four returning starters. Watch out for WR Hakeem Nicks to have another breakout season after posting 74 catches for 948 yards a year ago.

Defensive Outlook: Eight starters return to the UNC defense in 2008. One of the three newcomers will be DT Marvin Austin, who was a 5-star recruit in 2007. He should make a huge impact in the middle of the Carolina defensive line. Three of the returning four starters in the Tar Heels secondary are just sophomores, but started as freshmen and could turn into one of the best units the ACC has to offer.

2008 Preview: We’ll know by the end of September whether the Tar Heels are for real or not. After a tune-up against McNeese State, UNC takes on Rutgers, Virginia Tech, and Miami. If they can survive that portion of the schedule, things set up nicely for a run at as many as nine wins. Don’t be surprised if that game against VT on September 20th turns out to be the deciding factor in who wins the Coastal Division.

2008 will be a success if… Yates limits his mistakes. Davis knows what he’s doing, having led Miami to prominence years ago. This is clearly one of the more talented teams the ACC has to offer, and as long as they don’t make the mistakes that young players usually commit, the Tar Heels could be a huge dark horse to win the conference.

Truth be told, North Carolina is probably still a year away, but this team should drastically improve from a four-win season a year ago.

Prediction: 8-4, 2nd place in ACC Coastal

2008 Miami Hurricanes College Football Predictions Courtesy of Alex Smart, A Professional Sports Handicapper featured on Touthouse.com. If you are betting college football this season be sure to purchase Alex’s college football picks and guarantee a winning season.

Miami Hurricanes (5-7, 2-6 in 2007, 5th place in ACC Coastal)
What a disaster 2007 was for the once proud Miami Hurricanes! For a conference that “The U” and Florida State were supposed to dominate when the ACC expanded to twelve teams, only the Seminoles have won a league title, and neither has won a BCS game. HC Randy Shannon has his work cut out for him to improve on an embarrassing 5-7 squad, or he’ll be out the door very quickly in Coral Gables.

2007 Highlight: The traditional rivalry between FSU and UM has always had its twists and turns, but the 2007 edition was about as strange as it gets. Miami trailed the entire second half until they scored two touchdowns in 11 seconds late in the 4th quarter to give the Canes a 37-29 victory in Doak Campbell Stadium against their in-state rivals.

2007 Lowlight: In the illustrious history of Miami football, never before had the team faced such a demoralizing defeat as it did at the hands of the Virginia Cavaliers in the final home game ever played at the Orange Bowl. Kyle Wright threw three interceptions, and the offense only mustered nine first downs the entire game. Meanwhile, the defense was torched for 418 yards and had no answer for either the rushing or passing game of the Cavs. The doors of the Orange Bowl closed forever after the 44-0 defeat.

Offensive Outlook: Fortunately, the ghosts of Kyle Wright and Kirby Freeman left with the Orange Bowl for Miami. Neither quarterback ever panned out, and the coaching staff will now turn their attention to redshirt freshman Robert Marve to take over the offense; He’ll be supported by five returning starters. Both RB’s Javarris James and Graig Cooper could have massive seasons running behind a young, but highly touted offensive line. Sam Shields is the only returning wide receiver of note, and he’ll quickly become a favorite target of Marve.

Defensive Outlook: “The U” has always produced some of the fastest and most talented defensive players in the country, and 2008 should be no exception. Once again, the Canes are young on the defensive side of the ball, only returning six starters from a year ago, but incoming freshman linebackers Sean Spence and Arthur Brown are considered two of the best young LB’s in the country. The secondary is senior-laden, headed up by strong safety Randy Phillips.

2008 Preview: Though no one is really expecting Miami to challenge for the ACC crown in 2008, the most important games are the ones against Florida, Florida State, and UCF. Should they lose those three games, not only will a bowl game be out of the question, but the recruiting battles they will inevitably lose in the future could spell the end of the Miami dynasty as we know it. If there’s a plus on the ACC schedule, it’s that the Canes don’t have Clemson on their slate.

2008 will be a success if… they can find a way to win two of the three games against their in-state rivals. To expect Marve to go into the Swamp and knock off the mighty Gators is a bit far-fetched, but home games against FSU and up and coming UCF are absolute musts if Shannon expects to be around in 2009.

Unless these young players step up and return to Miami tradition, Shannon will be in his last year as the head coach at “The U.”

Prediction: 6-6, 3rd place in ACC Coastal

2008 Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets College Football Predictions Courtesy of Alex Smart, A Professional award winning College Football Handicapper. If you are betting college football this season and need current college football odds and picks be sure to visit Touthouse.com

Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets (7-6, 4-4 in 2007, 3rd place in ACC Coastal)
The Ramblin’ Wreck of Georgia Tech has an entirely new face to its football program. Former Navy HC Paul Johnson takes over the Jackets, which means the triple option is headed to the ACC. Not only is the entire offense changing, but DC Jon Tenuta has left to join the Notre Dame staff. Expect lots of changes in a rebuilding year for Georgia Tech.

2007 Highlight: Hindsight 20/20, knocking off the Fighting Irish probably wasn’t the most difficult task in the world in 2007, but any time you can pound Notre Dame by 30 points in front of the Touchdown Jesus statue, you’ve done something right. Tenuta’s defense flat out dominated the Irish offense, holding them to just 122 total yards for the game. The offense wasn’t spectacular, but RB Tashard Choice did rumble for 196 yards and two TDs in the 33-3 victory for GT to open their 2007 campaign on the right foot.

2007 Lowlight: In a nationally televised game, the Jackets took on #11 Virginia Tech in the friendly confines of Bobby Dodd Stadium. The offense laid a giant egg, only scoring three points against the Hokies’ defense, but giving up 486 total yards was what had to really annoy former HC Chan Gailey and Tenuta. Yes, G-Tech was overmatched in this game, but their 27-3 defeat was embarrassing and probably marked the beginning of the end for the Chan Gailey era.

Offensive Outlook: A very young Tech offense will be centered around sophomore QB Josh Nesbitt and fellow sophomore RB Jonathan Dwyer. Dwyer filled in nicely for Choice at times last year, and his nine touchdowns from a year ago should increase dramatically in the triple option attack that Johnson will bring to the team. The Yellow Jackets only return five starters on offense, three of which are on the offensive line, which should be strong in ’08.

Defensive Outlook: If Georgia Tech has any hope of going bowling this year, the defense must continue its strong play from a year ago. The defensive line is going to be scary with three returning seniors. There are expected to be more starting sophomores on the defense (6) than seniors (4), which is never a good sign. They’re a talented group that will probably turn out to be amazing in a year or two, but this defense likely isn’t ready to compete with the big boys just yet.

2008 Preview: Welcome to ACC football, Mr. Johnson. After a tune-up against Jacksonville State, the Jackets jump right into the ACC slate, traveling to Boston College and Virginia Tech. If they have any chance of being a bowl team this year, GT has to win their three easy non-conference games (Jacksonville State, Mississippi State, and Gardner-Webb), and find a way to notch a few victories in conference. The deeper into the season this team gets, the better off they will be.

2008 will be a success if… the option has signs of success against the quick ACC defenses. Speed is what kills the option, and there’s plenty of that on the defenses in this conference. If Johnson can pull this transformation off, he’ll know that his Jackets are well on their way to becoming an elite program in the ACC once again.

Asking Johnson to install an entirely new offense and defense is way too much for one season, especially when you consider the quantity of sophomores that will get significant playing time. Tech fans should be thrilled with a bowl game, but unless they’re going to shock a Georgia, Clemson, or Virginia Tech, they’ll probably come up short.

Prediction: 5-7, 4th place in ACC Coastal

2008 Duke Blue Devils College Football Predictions Courtesy of Alex Smart, A Professional College Football Handicapper featured on Touthouse.com. If you are betting college football this season be sure to buy Alex’s Expert NCAA picks.

Duke Blue Devils (1-11, 0-8 in 2007, 6th place in ACC Coastal)
As soon as the calendar turns to August, most college campuses around the country are firing up their tailgating gear for football season. Recently in Durham, the only question on the minds of the students is, “When does basketball season start?” Things may soon change in the town they call “Krzyzewskiville,” as David Cutcliffe has taken over the reigns as the head coach. He brings promise to a program that’s only won two games since 2005 and hasn’t beaten an FBS team (I-A) at home since 2004.

2007 Highlight: When you only win one game on the season, it’s easy to pick a highlight. QB Thaddeus Lewis tossed three touchdown passes to lead the Blue Devils to a 20-14 victory over the Northwestern Wildcats. The ‘W’ broke a losing streak of 22 games that dated back to the beginning of 2005.

2007 Lowlight: On the contrary, when you lose 11 games, it’s difficult to just pin down one lowlight. Down Tobacco Road in Chapel Hill, the Dookies had a chance to knock off the North Carolina Tar Heels for the first time since 2003. They led 14-7 late in the 4th, but a touchdown run by Carolina RB Greg Little with 7:09 to play knotted the game at 14-14. A second TD scamper by Little on UNC’s possession in overtime sealed the game for the Tar Heels by a 20-14 final count.

Offensive Outlook: Cutcliffe can only help an offense that failed to score more than 14-points in eight games in 2007. Lewis returns for his junior season, hoping to improve upon his 21 touchdowns a year ago. The best bet for an All-ACC member of the offense is WR Eron Riley, who averaged a whopping 20.8 yards per catch last year. The offensive line gave up 44 sacks a year ago, and doesn’t appear to have improved much this past off-season.

Defensive Outlook: The good news for the Blue Devils is that 10 players return from last year’s stop unit. The bad news is that the unit was torched for 32.9 PPG in ’07. Vincent Rey is a tackling machine at linebacker. All-ACC DT Vince Oghobaase is a nice plug in the middle of the defensive line to stop the run, as well as providing pressure up the middle in the pass rush. Unless the unit drastically improved in the off-season, it could be another year where the opposition lights up the scoreboard.

2008 Preview: Unlike years past, the Duke schedule actually has a few winnable games on it. They open with three straight very winnable games (James Madison, Northwestern, and Navy) before heading into conference play. A trip to Vanderbilt is also a possible victory. Bowl eligibility is out of the question, but a few wins may not be totally unreasonable.

2008 will be a success if… Cutcliffe can turn the mentality of the team around. It’s hard to create a winning atmosphere with a program that’s only won two games in three seasons, but if Duke can just get that feeling that they can compete, it will be the first step towards making the Blue Devils football program respectable.

There’s nowhere to go but up for Duke, but don’t look for Cutcliffe to work magic in his first year in Durham. That being said, if he can win three or four games with this squad, it will be a minor miracle.

Prediction: 2-10, 6th place in ACC Coastal