College Football!!!!

One week out from the official start to the season, and I have nothing but College Football on the mind. Need proof, here are 10 things you need to know if you don't already:

1. MDTN QB Dwight Dasher
The week 1 opponent for the Gophs one week from tonight is favored and getting hype because of this guy...uh-oh. Reports now are that it is unlikely this fella is going to play due to an investigation over a gambling loan he took from an 80 year old guy and didn't re-pay. The NCAA isn't so much concerned with the lack of repayment as they are the alleged high stakes poker game he was playing in. The line has already dropped from 4.5 to 2.5 in most places, so this is clearly a major issue. His backup looks completely inept from the few high school videos I could find on him...yep, high school because he has never a played a down of D1 football. Gophers can win with Dasher on the field, Gophers will destroy without him on the field. Maybe Dwight wants to enter the Football Challenge instead this season, sounds like our kind of guy.

2. FRIDAY on BTN
The much anticipated Gopher Preview show will be FRI, like tomorrow, on the BTN at 7pm. It's sandwiched in between a couple of beauties...LoMo and MB3 housing WIS and of course the Halloween miracle of 2009 where AWEB throws for 800 yards against Sparty No! It sounds like we'll get some good action from the scrimmage last Saturday, so it's probably worth a watch.

3. MGRAY - WR?
I guess it's pretty much official after the sound byte I saw last night. Brew stated that MGray is the #2 QB, but he also may be the STARTER at WR! The guy has the best hands and is the biggest and strongest skill player on the team, so I love the idea. Enough with the bizarro trickeration we tried to do last season with him, put him at WR consistently and lets use this fella while we have him. He and McKnight on the ends with Stoudermire, Green, and Allen running across the slot looks like a great mix. Brew basically said that MGray was standing beside him on the sidelines and flat out said, I'm not doing anything to help the team over here. So the change was made and we have our own version of Marcus McNutt (as much as I hate to admit it, this Hogeye QB turned WR is lethal and was gigantic for them in 2009). You can't worry about injury or his backup QB duties - let's go balls out to win from the start...I love it!

The final 7 items all come from Twitter and are all thing I got from just this morning...seriously, get on Twitter and follow the right people and you will soon not know how you lived without this constant entertainment for so long.

4. $450/MONTH - where do I sign?
The SC hotel scandal has finally released some details. Players were staying in a decent hotel for $450/month, but unfortunately they have now all moved out. The worst part is, these are some good players and are on suspension for a while due to these extra benefits. This has kind of been a non-story because it's in SEC country and everyone does stuff like this....the Gophers would have probably gotten the death penalty by now if 1/2 the team was living at the Holiday Inn.

5. ILLINI, another man down
Illinois, who already has a horrendous defense they are trying to improve, lost a starting S for the season with a torn achilles. Sounds painful - but it's just another step in the eventual doom of the Zooker...R.I.P.

6. DICKROD being DICKROD
In a weak move that should surprise nobody, DickRod will wait until the Friday night before the game against UCONN to announce his starting QB. This is a really desperate move from a really desperate team and it tells me that he has no f*cking idea what he want to do at QB and MICH will be a train-wreck for the 3rd and final year of the DickRod regime.

7. IOWA is catching breaks already!
So the Hogeyes open with E.Illinois...frightening. But the one player who may have put the Hogeyes on their heels a little bit will now miss the opener. Florida RB transfer guy is now hurt and won't play for E.ILL in their trip to the farmland. Iowa will squeak this one out with 3 defense TD's 21-2.

8. TEASERS
Some betting advice from a pro in Vegas known as Teddy Covers around Teasers. He says he only plays teasers in the NFL and only in the 2 game variety where you bet 11 to win 10 and reduce the juice. Not nearly daring enough for me, but probably a smart strategy. He says the best teaser plays are taking a team at -7.5 or -8.5 down to under a FG favorite and taking a dog of 1.5 or 2.5 up over a TD. Moving the line past the magic numbers is the way to play these. I'm not a big teaser guy, but I could be talked into it if absolutely necessary.

9. EDSBS (Everydayshouldbesaturday.com)
This is a great website you should check out. They had a GREAT quote I read on there today:

"We've been told this is due to the brutal comedown from a brown liquor high into cold, hungover reality, which is why we still recommend vodka for maximum drunken rooting efficiency. Vodka: Keeping EDSBS In The Game and Cheering Since 1994."

I couldn't agree more. Vodka is the best cheering medicine for a long-term football Saturday. Believe me, I tried this in Vegas last year with some great results...however, it did hamper my Sunday a little bit. These guys are a couple of die-hards that have tons of hilarious articles throughout the week. A good read if you ever get bored at work.

10. PURPLE Pride
Okay, so I have 1 NFL item for you. So Sidney is apparently a moron and it has thrown off our plans for the entire season. Enter Javon Walker and Greg Camarillo. Forgive me if I'm not overly excited. Walker just can't have anything left and Camarillo isn't quite a Rice replacement. So the offense becomes instantly less dynamic and effective...which scares me for out 2010 chances. Lots of doom and gloom predictions going around out there for the Purple, and I have to say I'm starting to believe it. 8-8 might not be out of the question in 2010.

Set your DVR now for Friday night on BTN and next Thursday on ESPNU...the season has arrived.

I have not received any picks yet (except my own) so I will send the games out again on Monday. Remember to send over your picks by Thursday at Noon...like one full week from today.

I also need $$$ from these guys:

HEINERT & CORCORAN - will get this when I see you at work
ROE - crickets...send me a check, you can't steal our $ for 3 years and then run!
KOBOW - crickets...send me a check or swing by with cash, whatever works.

Only 7 days guys - scrounge together the spare change and buy yourself a full season of enjoyment.