Spreads are out.....not too bad.

One of the most exciting elements to start the lead up to the college football season (which is already just 82 days away) is the release of the spreads for each college football game. It is almost completely unfounded, irrelevant, inaccurate and pretty stupid if you think about it, but at the same time really awesome. The spreads themselves have zero impact on the games, but it reminds all of us loyal fans that football is just over the horizon and thus begins the "summer season of projection". That's really all these spreads do, but isn't it fun? Every fan across the country is happy, sad, angry, confident and sometimes indifferent about each of the spreads for their respective favorite team. While I was listening to the radio yesterday and heard some of the spreads for the powerhouses across the country, which for some reason did not include the Huskies, I thought about the opportunity the Huskies are being presented for this season. We have great talent, great coaching, a new stadium and buzz going into this season, and the opportunity to turn some heads. Here are my thoughts on all of these spreads:


BOISE STATE favored by 2 - scary awesome
@ Illinois favored by 11 - really?! love the confidence on the "road"
(Idaho St game does not have an early spread, but let's just say UW by 29)
ARIZONA favored by 5 - this team scares me, but we are at home, seems about right
@ Stanford underdog by 10 - national championship talk for Cardinal, I would set it at 17 or so
OREGON underdog by 14 - loss of Chip Kelly, NCAA sanctions, still 2 TD's is plausible, unfortunately
Arizona St. underdog by 5 - on the road, less than a touchdown, tough team, Vegas was generous
CAL favored by 17 - biggest surprise of all the lines, I mean, Cal isn't THAT bad, right?
(Colorado game does not have an early spread, but let's just say UW by 20)
@ UCLA underdog by 2 - I think this was pretty far off, really tough team on the road, should be 7+
@ Oregon St. underdog by 5 - this game is a pick 'em for me, on the road but very beatable
WSU favored by 14 - Husky Loyal Army is probably thinking "more like 35", but it is a rivalry game

The thing that sticks out to me the most is the lack of confidence on the road from the line-setters. I know, I know, the Huskies have done very little to prove that they can win on the road over the last decade, but I think last year's Colorado and Cal wins, although not Earth-shattering, should have proved they can do something away from home. But there are some definite confidence boosters in that lineup, namely the UCLA, Arizona, Illinois and Boise State games. To think that we are favored against a consistently good Boise State team in the first game of the season is a large jump from where we were a few years ago. Again, these spreads mean close to nothing, but it gives people like me to the chance to write this post and get the Husky Loyal Army excited for what should be a very good season.

GO DAWGS!!!

P.S. - Just in case you wondering, here are 8 of Wazzu's lines for this year, all double-digit underdogs:
11 @Auburn, 21 @USC, 18.5 STAN, 13 ORST, 35.5 @OREGON, 15 @ASU, 19 @Zona, 14 @UW