Resurrection

A few years ago, I resolved to never wager on Notre Dame.  That decision came about as a lesson learned the hard way.  If I bet on them, they would screw the pooch.  If I bet against them, they'd come up golden.  Either way, I came out on the short end, so in the spirit of "it feels so good when you stop", I stopped. The lack of business success heightened the disdain which I long held for Notre Dame.

I have a child who is an alumna of Notre Dame and a number of friends who are alumni of Notre Dame.  One of them is an integral part of a great story there, and that story is told in a new release from renowned sports author Jim Dent entitled Resurrection.  If you're a ND fan, or you have one on your holiday gift list, this is a winner.

It's the story of the renaissance of football at ND.  Their teams were a dud from the mid 50's until the early 60's, as the administration had decided to deemphasize football.  Northwestern decided to discard its coach, the most successful coach the program had employed in generations (it made no sense then, and less than no sense in the aftermath), and Notre Dame snapped him up.  Ara Parseghian presided over the (click to order) Resurrection of Notre Dame football, and this book tells the tale. 

Now, on to business.  I had to have a session with the investment consortium to make sense of this week's offerings, and I think we've authored an unusual and highly enjoyable array of wagering recommendations.  All bulls&#t aside, we're gonna make some money this weekend.

****Cincinnatti -14 ½ @ Syracuse
The Cincinnatti Bearcats are the real thing. They’re sporting a 7-0 record as they head for Syracuse this Saturday (11:00 a.m.) to take on the Orange with their 3-4 record. Cincinnatti is 4-2 ATS. They’re big , they’re very fast and they play like they’re on a mission. The climate controlled dome and the assurance of a fast track appear tailored to the ‘Cats. The spread dipped a ½ point from the open, probably based on the news that starting Cinci QB Tony Pike will be on the shelf with a broken arm. Don’t get excited: the ‘Cats QB last week was their sophomore backup and he was only good enough to steer his team to a 41-10 thumping of Louisville.  11:00 am ESPNU
*** Akron @ Northern Illinois -11
We love the Akron Zips.  This week, we love Coach Jerry Kill's NIU Huskies more.  They're 4-3, and Akron is visiting with an 0-4 road record, 1-6 overall. Northern has been rather schizophrenic this year, playing some tough teams tough while tripping on walkovers, but the Zips should be good medicine.  It won't be a picnic in DeKalb, as Akron has played a fairly notorious slate of opponents, but the guess here is that the Zips are on the verge of pugilistic dementia, not having savored victory since their September 12 date with the mighty Morgan State Bears. 11:00 am ESPN-GP
** Marshall @ Central Florida -4 1/2
The return of Pete's Perfect Pick, ladies and gentlemen.  This is a Sunday night contest, about which my erstwhile associate counsels "Lock yourself up and enjoy a cute little football team and some Sunday night college football.  Central Florida has distinguished itself from the class, and the Herd won't be heard from on this night."  Ya pays yer money and takes yer chances, yes, but the PPP's have a stellar performance history. Sunday, 7:15 pm ESPN
* Hawaii @ Nevada -24
Nevada lost its first three games of the season, 35-0 to Notre Dame, 35-20 to Colorado State, and 31-21 to Missouri.  They've won four straight since then, putting up 63,37, 35 and 70 points along the way.  Hawaii used to be one of my favorite teams to watch, now they're pretty lame.  Boise State pasted 'em 54-9 on the island last week.  Now they're going to fly away from paradise to nasty Nevada to get their pineapples crushed. 3:05 pm

Other games of financial interest this big screen weekend:

• USC visits Oregon +3,
• Michigan State -3 1/2 at Decker-less Minnesota,
• Nebraska -13 1/2 will rebound big big big, and
• Boise State -36 hosting San Jose State and
• Utah -17 hosting Wyoming are going to bring home some happiness.   

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