College Coaches Run It Up
Statistics, trends and betting angles, all factors in handicap analysis. Another factor to consider is training. There are coaches in both professional and college football who cover the sidelines on a consistent basis. For the most part, coaches don’t consider the distribution of points from each game and, admittedly, they rarely talk about it. Former Washington coach Rick Neuheisel was fired because he was playing a college basketball tournament in the school pool, so you’ll never find a coach who says, “We’re hoping to cover the number this weekend.”
However, it is important to understand why certain trainers cover frequently and why some trainers consistently fail at ATS. A big part of this is preparation, organization and adjustments in the game. Football is about organizing 30-40 players every week to perform at a high level and that is not easy to do. Super Bowl-winning coaches like Bill Parcells, Bill Belichick and Bill Walsh have that ability. They are able to maximize the strengths of a team, they have a talent for teaching and getting the most out of athletes and their teams.
Also, some coaches, particularly those with good offensive minds, earn a reputation for raising the score. They do it to win games, of course, or to help their team’s poll rankings. When Jimmy Johnson was in Miami from Florida, I remember a game where he deliberately turned up the score at Notre Dame, winning 58-7 on national television, because he needed a boost in the polls to have a shot at a national title game. in the bowls Here’s a look at some current coaches who cover consistently or have a reputation for recovery.
June Jones (Hawaii): I don’t think Jones is racking up scores on purpose this season, but you should be impressed with his run-and-gun offense. It’s all working behind quarterback Colt Brennan with the team’s best in scoring and passing. They crushed Idaho 68-10 on Saturday and Brennan has an NCAA-leading 33 TD assists. They outscored New Mexico State 49-30 two weeks ago, which was on the heels of an impressive 68-37 victory in Fresno. Hawaii is 5-0-1 ATS this season because of that explosive offense. Hawaii is also 12-5 ATS in its last 17 home games.
Bobby Petrino (Louisville): Another brilliant and offensive-minded teacher. The Cardinals are averaging 43 points and over 210 rushing and passing yards! Thanks to the fall of USC, the pivotal game between West Virginia and Louisville on Thursday will be the first top-five matchup for the rebuilt Big East. The third-place Mountaineers and fifth-place Cardinals each moved up one spot in the AP poll. Louisville is 22-12 ATS in its last 34 games.
Jim Tressel (Ohio State): Tressel has always favored a balanced offense, but the past two seasons he’s had so many offensive weapons that the Buckeyes have been harassing everyone. They just whitewashed Minnesota 44-0. And that followed a 44-3 win over Indiana, giving the Buckeyes their first consecutive wins by 40 or more points since 1996. Ohio State has outscored opponents 161-17 in the last four games. Ohio State is 16-0 SU, 15-1 ATS in their last 16 games! By the way, the Buckeyes are 34-2 SU, 24-10-1 ATS in their last 36 home games.
Frank Beamer (Virginia Tech): Don’t feel sorry for the Hokies after losing two in a row at Georgia Tech and BC. They currently have a winning margin mark this season after beating Southern Miss and Clemson in the last two games. It’s the third straight year they’ve had a winning ATS record and Beamer is 23-9 in ATS Virginia Tech’s last 32 games. They’re also on pace to have a winning record at home for the fourth straight year.
Steve Spurrier (South Carolina): The grandfather of rising coaches is still getting the job done. His days in Florida were legendary, with several games in which he moved the ball and scored late in wins. A game where they were throwing the ball for a late TD in the last few seconds to cover! His Gamecocks are also solid ATS winners. Despite the loss to Tennessee on Saturday, South Carolina is 5-2 ATS this season and 11-8 ATS since being there. Don’t underestimate the value of above average trainers! Good luck, as always… Al McMordie.