Arguably the best game Saturday to bet on college football with is NOT Florida at Alabama but instead the Pac 10 showdown between Oregon and Stanford. Oregon opened as a 7 point favorite at SBG over Stanford and the game will kickoff on ABC at 8:05 PM Eastern Saturday night.
Powerhouse Championship Football
While the Southeastern Conference gets all of the love from fans, media, and the betting public, smart handicappers see the Pac 10 Conference emerging as a legitimate threat to SEC dominance. Stanford and Oregon have played as good of football as anyone in the country and are on a collision course for what could be a game for the ages.
Brains and Brawn
What is most interesting about the Stanford Cardinal is that they are not a football factory type of program. Stanford is an elite private institution that is known for exceptional academics and tough entrance requirements that make recruiting top football talent a challenge. But head coach Jim Harbaugh has mastered that challenge and has a team that wins with brains, and brawn and the Cardinal is the most physically abusive and bullying team in the land.
No Mercy
Stanford steamrolled over Notre Dame last week in a 37-14 win as 4 point NCAA betting favorites as they jumped out to a 34-6 4th quarter lead. In previous wins they won by scores of 52-17 over Sacramento State, 35-0 at UCLA, and 68-24 over Wake Forest.
Fully Loaded and With Luck
Stanford ranks 4th in offensive scoring and 13th in scoring defense. Quarterback Andrew Luck has the full attention of NFL scouts as he is averaging 8.9 yards per pass attempt with an 11/2 touchdown/interception ratio whole averaging 9.6 yards per carry.
Scoring Machine
The Oregon Ducks have the top ranked scoring offense in college football and are coming off a 42-31 win at Arizona State to improve to 4-0 straight up and 3-1 against the spread. New starting quarterback Darron Thomas looks sharp with a 10/3 TD/INT ratio and running back LaMichael James is averaging 8.2 yards per carry. The Ducks are more of a speed and finesse team which makes the matchup with Stanford even more intriguing.
Head to Head
Stanford scored a 51-42 bet on college football win last year over Oregon for their 2nd consecutive payout in the series.