Confessions of a Small-time Gambler

Well, College Bowl season has begun and there have already been some good games and bad beats. But the one thing that I find every year, no matter how much I enjoy throwing a few dollars on pretty much every bowl game, it is tough to turn a profit. Of course, it would help if I was a) more selective and b) more informed.

So far I have put a play in on each bowl game. And, as pretty much happens every year, I am down. In the very first day of bowl games I figured to stick my toe in the water, so I started off with UTEP in a 3-team teaser. I teased them so that the Miners were getting 17! Not even close as they were down 21 within 20 min of play. I knew this play lost but the two other parts of the teaser were still plays that I liked. So I played ‘em both. I took Ohio +1.5, as I am a little familiar with the MAC and figured “What the heck?”, bowl games are always pretty solid on dogs in the early games.

The other part of my teaser was Under 63.5 in the Humanitarian Bowl, Northern Illinois vs. Fresno State. A couple of years back, Fresno was one of those teams that I got lucky with and cashed multiple times. But, in 2010, I was unable to name one player, coach or even remember the team name (Bulldogs). I did watch some of the MAC championship game in which Northern Illinois lost as a huge favorite and under 50 points were scored. So, I played the under, without the added points given to the play in the teaser, and got the game at under 57.5. I sat down to watch this game and heard the announcers talking about how this game was going to be a track meet and the last team with the ball could win. Only then, did I decide to check a few things out. And much to my dismay, Northern Illinois had scored 71, 59 and 65 in the three games prior to the Mac Championship. Then I saw Fresno State had scored 33 or more points in 7 of 11 games this season. Uh Oh!

I sat down for 5:30 kickoff fully prepared to go down in flames. The announcers seemed like they had already watched this game! After taking a drive or two to settle down, Fresno State scored a TD. Then the Huskies scored towards the end of the first quarter and then again quickly in the second. At the half is was NIU 23, FSU 10. Already 33 points. I figured this was over and started doing some other things, checking on the score occasionally. 26-10. 33-10 and ,more than a quarter to play. Then Northern Illinois scored in the first minute or two of the fourth quarter, 40-10. With almost a whole quarter to go, I figured this was loss #2 of the college bowl season. But then the teams went back and forth a bit and with about 6 and half minutes to go, my full attention was again on the game. I watched as the Bulldogs scored with 5 minutes left. The total was at 57. What did I have again? 57, 57.5, 58? What was the number?!!

I went to the computer and logged in. YES! I have 57.5. Now it was time to sweat and pace. And it was great excitement as the score remained the same. I paced, I stared at the screen, scrutinized the replays and all but cheered “Dee FENCE”. Then with a last attempt on 4th down that fell short, Fresno State was done, I cashed. First win of Bowl Season.

And unfortunately, the last . . . so far. Ohio got beat by 3, but I had them +1.5. I again played the underdog in Utah. It was about halfway through the game when I found out that the president of Ohio State had slammed Boise State by saying that they don’t deserve to be in the Bowl Championship Series title game even if they run the table. He said that Big Ten teams, “ . . . do not play the Little Sisters of the Poor.” There was no way Boise was NOT gonna blow out the Utes after a comment like that, no way. I decide that If I am going to play these games I need more ESPN.

As I write this, Dan Diego State is winning the Pointsettia Bowl. Guess who I have.

I did take a look at the upcoming bowl games and to me, most of ‘em are still a coin flip. But I did have a few light bulbs go off in my head while reviewing the OSGA bowl report. Is Toledo really in a bowl game? The Texas Bowl features the 6-6 Illinois Illini vs. the 7-5 Baylor Bears; in a game lauding mediocrity, it does makes sense that a game in Houston would feature a .500 team from the Lone Star State, that actually has a chance to win. And, is it wrong to eat a heaping plate of Mac ‘N Cheese when watching the Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl?

Have a VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS and a safe New Year. Stay away from Uncle Mel and the Hawaii Bowl.

Check back for all new Confessions in 2011. Good Luck to all of us throughout this Holiday season!