Behold what football withdrawals will do to its legions of fans. I, like the average American, profess a greater love for football than any other sport. Springing forth from this adoration is an understanding of why people must continue to write and converse about the sport even when there is nothing remotely substantive occurring. Look at me, I am doing that very thing right now. What I wish to accomplish with this post, however, is to bring a modicum of balance to the normally hyperbolic off season banter.
Preceding even the dawn of the spring games in the B1G, there were 2012 season predictions. I recall shaking my head in wonder at how any accurate conclusions could be drawn with so little to go on aside from estimated rosters. The question, “How early is too early for rankings?” was asked through various media outlets. I am comfortable stating that early April is too darn early. As time ground its way forward, as it is wont to do, yet more predictions have surfaced from every corner of creation. The vast majority of the aforementioned have OSU winning the Leaders, and U of M running away with the Legends. Shock and awe all around. Athlon Sports cranked out a very thorough preseason ranking for the B1G with sound arguments presented in support of each pick. Bleacher Report had a “Five Bold Predictions” write up which is also very good. The page I linked in pertains solely to U of M and I chose that page because it heralded Robinson’s Heisman front runner status. I have enjoyed every single September Heisman award that Denard has won. Considering the guy is a horrendous passer, he has done well to maintain his status as a hopeful.
Next we move on to Ann Arbor.com where they have noted the first official point spread from Vegas regarding the October 20 match up between MSU and U of M . There is also a poll attached to that article asking for feedback about the line. Michigan is a 6 point favorite out of the gate in that tilt. It is important to note two facts about sports betting. One: the home team is always at least a three point favorite unless they are horrible. Two: point spreads change as quickly as Michigan weather. Despite the fact that I found this article interesting(bookies are serious people), the line on the game is of little importance to me. There are no moral victories, and beating the spread doesn’t mean squat.
These are some fun things to chat about. It’s great to keep a finger on the pulse of college football but in the end it all gets tossed out the window as soon as the games are played. No matter who is the author, these predictions have the accuracy of a Denard Robinson pass and the validity of a Buckeye entrance exam. The possibilities are entirely endless and last season has no bearing on this year’s schedule. The B1G is going to be an extremely competitive conference once again and I plan on enjoying every minute of the season.
Go Green!