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Every commercial I see on ESPN for the National Championship game still uses the rankings from the last week of the regular season, as in "#2 Oregon vs. #4 Ohio State." Why? Besides not being a good way to advertise the last football game of the season, these two teams have proven themselves as the two best teams in the country. "Oregon vs. Ohio State" is perfect.
Game Picks
Last week: 3-5-0
Season: 51-44-2
I'm going to finish with a winning record! If you placed a $1 bet on each of the 97 games based on my picks, you would be $2.41 richer. Congrats!
Monday, January 12th, 5:30 PM
CFP NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP GAME PRESENTED BY AT&T
Oregon (-6.5) over Ohio State
When I was 7 years old, I cried when Ohio State beat Arizona State in the 1997 Rose Bowl. So, I wish only eternal unhappiness to anyone associated with the Buckeyes.
Proposition Bets
And now for the degenerate fun stuff. These are the prop bets I'm most interested in (my picks are in bold).
WINNING MARGIN
Ohio State by 1-6 points: 5/1
Ohio State by 7-12 points: 17/2
Ohio State by 13-18 points: 14/1
Ohio State by 19-24 points: 22/1
Ohio State by 25-30 points: 35/1
Ohio State by 31-36 points: 45/1
Ohio State by 37-42 points: 70/1
Ohio State by 43 or more points: 80/1
Oregon by 1-6 points: 7/2
Oregon by 7-12 points: 9/2
Oregon by 13-18 points: 6/1
Oregon by 19-24 points: 9/1
Oregon by 25-30 points: 14/1
Oregon by 31-36 points: 16/1
Oregon by 37-42 points: 25/1
Oregon by 43 or more points: 22/1
The first half of the game will be close and the Buckeyes may even go into halftime with a slim lead. But in the second half, Oregon will pull away and Ohio State will learn what South Dakota, Michigan State, Wyoming, Washington State, Arizona, UCLA, Washington, California, Stanford, Utah, Colorado, Oregon State, and Florida State already know; that the Ducks are really, really good. The Ducks will probably win by a margin around 20, so 9/1 here looks pretty.
TEAM TO SCORE FIRST IN THE GAME
Ohio State: +140
Oregon: -170
THE FIRST SCORE OF THE GAME WILL BE
Touchdown: -350
Field Goal or Safety: +275
THE FIRST SCORE OF THE GAME WILL BE - EXACT OUTCOME
Ohio State touchdown: 3/2
Ohio State field goal: 9/1
Ohio State any other score: 50/1
Oregon touchdown: 1/1
Oregon field goal: 7/1
Oregon any other score: 50/1
WILL THERE BE A SCORE IN THE FIRST 5 MINUTES OF THE GAME
Yes: -120
No: -110
WILL EITHER TEAM SCORE 3 UNANSWERED TIMES IN THE GAME
Yes: -325
No: +250
TEAM WHO SCORES FIRST WINS THE GAME
Yes: -180
No: +150
WILL A SPECIAL TEAMS OR DEFENSIVE TOUCHDOWN BE SCORED
Yes: +140
No: -170
THE LONGEST TOUCHDOWN SCORE IN THE GAME WILL BE
Over 63.5 yards: -115
Under 63.5 yards: -115
TEAM TO SCORE THE LONGEST TOUCHDOWN IN THE GAME
Ohio State: +135
Oregon: -165
LONGEST SUCCESSFUL FIELD GOAL IN THE GAME
Over 37.5 yards: -115
Under 37.5 yards: -115
TEAM TO WIN COIN TOSS
Ohio State: -105
Oregon: -105
TOTAL PASSING YARDS - CARDALE JONES
Over 260.5 yards: -120
Under 260.5 yards: -120
TOTAL TOUCHDOWN PASSES AND INTERCEPTIONS - CARDALE JONES
Over 2.5: +110
Under 2.5: -150
TOTAL PASSING YARDS - MARCUS MARIOTA
Over 296.5 yards: -140
Under 296.5 yards: EVEN
HOW MANY POST SCORE PUSH-UPS WILL THE OREGON DUCKS MASCOT DO (this is a real bet)
Over 147.5: -130
Under 147.5: -110
I wish there were sillier prop bets for this game, ala the Super Bowl. It's my dream that if I ever become a celebrity, I would date a singer that will perform the National Anthem at the Super Bowl. Then I'll put a ton of money betting on Lana Del Rey to go over 90 seconds (we will have practiced holding the last note just in case), and then we'll be rich! Or slightly richer than we already are in this extended fantasy.
Random Notes
- This is the third year in a row that a Pac-12 team has been outclassed by an inferior Big 12 school in a bowl game. In 2012, UCLA (a 1 point favorite) lost to Baylor 49-26 in the Holiday Bowl; in 2013, Arizona State (a 14 point favorite) lost to Texas Tech 37-23 in the Holiday Bowl; and this season, Washington (a 6.5 point favorite) lost to Oklahoma State 30-22 in the Cactus Bowl.
- Why would Kevin Hogan go anywhere, especially Maryland or Michigan? After the last few weeks have shown us that Hogan can be a great NFL prospect, Stanford is the best place for him to be. Michigan is not winning more than 8 games, which is a prop bet you can make right now.