Defensive Dogs Bite Hard

  At the beginning of each football season, my close friend and respected colleague, “Adam’sApple” and yours truly, meet for our weekly breakfast to begin the grind of the football season. The discussion always shifts from teams returning a wealth of talent, coaching changes and such, to money-making tools that consistently place us in the “Winner’s Circle”.

 In my years attempting to handicap college football, few tools have been better than an under-dog with a better defense. Now, we can't start at the beginning of the season when there are always the one hit wonders in the early season, who put up a sub (200) yard performance against the dregs of college football. After about the fourth week, we can start separating the cream. That's when we start finding winning “defensive dogs”. Every year will find a different list. However, there are a few reliable teams. 

 Ohio State, Alabama, Clemson etc. are a veryrare underdog, but worth their weight in Pot of Gold. TCU sometimes look over matched, but always seem to hold their own when installed as the underdog. In most cases, the bigger yardage difference, the better your chances. Example: a sub (300) yard defense vs. a (400+) yard defense should give you a better chance of cashing that ticket. Be careful not to buck that unusually prolific offense. Last year’s Oklahoma Sooners squad was one that didn't play much defense, but could outscore almost every defense! Hope this season brings more home runs than strikeouts!

                                                                      By James Patrick