The 2007 NFL and college football seasons are quickly bearing down on us and thus the handicapping season as well. Our professional handicappers have already been hard at work breaking down game trends and scenarios that will ensure another winning season, just like the 9 that came before it. It is a banner year for us due to the fact we are now in our tenth year of providing winning football, baseball, and college picks to our loyal subscribers. What makes us unique is the depth of analysis you receive week in and week out as we explain how we came up with the choices we made. Many websites out there are “claiming” that they are picking at a 75 percent clip and other absurd figures. The fact of the matter is that a great handicapping season is one where you top off at 60 percent, with a good season hovering between 55-57 percent. Our nine year run has yielded a success rate at 57 percent with BEST BETS coming in at 63 percent. This is a figure we are very proud of and one that we stand by. We post out results whether its good or bad unlike many other publications. We have built up a trust with our readers over the years and this has fostered a loyal following through and through. Our guarantee is that if you follow our disciplined approach to making selections, YOU WILL WIN! When all is said and done, our systems are proven winners and has made us a powerhouse in the handicapping world.

The art of handicapping sporting events is one that can be very frustrating to the amateur. Sure thing bets and locks end up flaming out and many are left wondering, “What went wrong?” The fact of the matter is that there is no such thing as a “lock.” We use the term “Strong Play” or BEST BET. We don’t try and make ourselves bigger than we are by going around saying “this is a lock” because any bettor will tell you there is no such thing.

The reason being is that the betting lines are designed to even out the sides in any type of contest. No matter how good a team is, the art of overcoming a point spread is one that knows no discrimination when it comes to efficiency. Year in and year out we see losing teams post winning records with the point spread which goes to show you just how unpredictable this venture is. As we stated before, our professional handicappers attack the point spread with years of experience behind them and with knowledge of what angles work and what doesn’t. A perfect example is the home underdog scenario that we have touted for years and only recently have seen word published on this. Home underdogs in the NFL have covered at a 60 percent clip over the last five years which is right in line with our success rate. This is just one of dozens of scenarios that we rely on to continually post winning year after winning year.

On top of our handicapping prowess, we have delved into the world of fantasy sports by hiring expert analysts who know the games inside and out. Our experts have each played in the Las Vegas Fantasy Baseball/Football Invitational and thus their in-depth information is something that can’t be missed. Each week our experts write daily articles on hot/cold players via the FANTASY STOCK WATCH. This will update you on key players and their fantasy value throughout the weeks of the year. We also review each game from a fantasy perspective and examine break out players to determine who is a find and who is a fluke. On Fridays, we send out our weekly Fantasy Football Game Analysis which delves into each game and examines the fantasy prospects of each key player in the respective contest. We tell you who to play and who not to play so that you have the best chance to win your matchup.

Good luck!

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Offensively, it all starts with quarterback Tim Tebow. Tebow is the reigning Heisman Trophy winner and he is only entering his Junior year. Tebow will have a bevy of incredibly talented players to get the ball to, and as a result, I do not see him reaching last season’s amazing totals of 32 passing touchdowns and 23 rushing touchdowns.

The Gators are stacked at the wide receiver position, have two extremely talented tight ends and loads of experience along the offensive line. Florida will spread the ball around to receivers Percy Harvin, Louis Murphy and Riley Cooper as well as a deep corps of running backs who compliment each other very well. Sophomore tailback Chris Rainey, who will also line up at receiver, was the star of the spring game.

Florida led the SEC in offense last season and they have much of that unit returning. I do not expect the Gators to have much trouble moving the ball or scoring points in bunches.

The Gators defense appeared to be improving as the season progressed. But Michigan thoroughly humiliated them with 524 yards of offense in the Capital One Bowl. Coach Urban Meyer responded by bringing in two new defensive coaches. He also brought in a ton of talent from his recruiting class in order to upgrade the defensive side of the ball. Meyer also put an emphasis on changing some defensive strategies. This season, Meyer plans on playing more off-man coverage.

All-SEC linebacker Brandon Spikes is the cornerstone of the Florida defense. The Gators will need help from some of their freshmen if their defense is to improve. These freshmen include cornerback Janoris Jenkins, safety Will Hill and defensive tackle Omar Hunter.

On special teams, Florida will have a new kicker and it will most likely be true freshman Jacob Sturgis. Sturgis wowed coaches in the spring game by booting a 60-yard field goal. Sophomore Chas Henry is back as the team’s punter. Henry’s booming punts were very difficult for opponents to return last season.

Last season was a rebuilding year for Florida. The Gators lost a lot of talent from their 2006 National Championship team. They lost four games and failed to repeat as SEC champions. In my humble opinion, the pieces are in place for Florida to make another national title run this season. However, it won’t be an easy task.

The Gators are in the same division with Georgia, another preseason favorite. Florida also has a very difficult schedule that consists of non-conference games against Miami, Florida State and Hawaii, road games at Tennessee and Arkansas, a home game against LSU, the defending national champions.

While it won’t be easy, Florida certainly has the talent to be considered among the preseason favorites in the chase for the 2008 national championship.

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USC finished the 2007 campaign with an 11-2 record capped off by a convincing 49-17 win over Illinois in the Rose Bowl. Southern Cal ranked second in the nation in scoring defense, as they allowed just 19 points per game. They also ranked second nationally in total defense, as they allowed only 273.2 yards per game. Two October losses (home against Stanford and at Oregon) ruined their bid for a perfect season and national championship.

This season, the quarterbacking duties will be handled by junior Mark Sanchez. Sanchez won the job in spring over Arkansas transfer Mitch Mustain. Sanchez has started just three games coming into this season. The former National Prep Player of the Year threw seven touchdown passes and five interceptions in limited duty last season.

USC possesses a deep corps of talented running backs, including Stafon Johnson, experienced junior C.J. Gable and super sophomore Joe McKnight. Johnson ran for 673 yards on just 98 carries last season for a 6.9-yard average. He also tallied five touchdowns. Fullback Stanley Havili, a solid receiver and blocker, should also help the USC rushing attack.

Vidal Hazleton and Patrick Turner return as the starting wide receivers. This unit needs to improve from last season’s performance. They should get help from Damian Williams, another Arkansas transfer, and Ronald Johnson. All-America tight end Fred Davis has gone to the NFL, leaving junior Anthony McCoy to try to fill the huge void left by Davis’ departure.

Only one starter returns from last year’s offensive line and that is left guard Jeff Byers. The good news is many of the new starters in this group saw extensive playing time last season due to injuries to last year’s starters. Center Kristofer O’Dowd played extremely well last season filling in for the injured Matt Spanos. Charles Brown, Zack Heberer and Butch Lewis also received plenty of playing time due to starters’ injuries.

Head coach Pete Carroll’s specialty is defense. I mentioned some of USC’s 2007 defensive accomplishments earlier. This year’s group has speed and athleticism at every level and should also put up some impressive numbers.

All-America candidate Rey Maualuga returns at middle linebacker and former Rose Bowl MVP Brian Cushing returns at strong-side linebacker. Kaluka Maiava should be the new starter at weak-side linebacker for a unit that should be among the best in the country.

It gets even better. Coach Carroll believes this year’s secondary could be the best he has ever coached. It all starts with 6’4″ 225-pound free safety Taylor Mays. Strong safety Kevin Ellison, an All-PAC 10 pick last season, combines with Mays to form what might be the best safety tandem in the nation.

The biggest loss for this defense is the departure of PAC-10 Defensive Player of the Year Sedrick Ellis. Ellis, a nose tackle last season, is off to the NFL. Christian Tupou and Averell Spicer have some big shoes to fill in trying to replace Ellis. The rest of the defensive line consists of Fili Moala at the other tackle spot and freshman All-American Everson Griffin and Kyle Moore at the ends.

Both kickers, placekicker David Buehler and punter Greg Woidneck, return after solid 2007 campaigns. Southern Cal should get excellent kick returns from the trio of McKnight, Gable and Ronald Johnson.

In 2008, the Trojans will be trying to win 11 games and make it to a BCS bowl game for the seventh straight season. QB Sanchez will have a lot to do with whether or not USC achieves that goal. USC does have an easier schedule than they had last season. Most of the tough games are at home, including Ohio State, Oregon and Arizona State. I expect USC to once again challenge for a spot in the BCS National Championship Game.

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Oklahoma finished the 2007 season at 11-3 as Big 12 champions. The Sooners averaged 6.4 yards per play on offense, the most for the team since 1987. The offense should continue to thrive, but the defense may be a bit of a question mark at this point in time.

Sooners quarterback Sam Bradford had one of the best freshman seasons in college football history. Bradford threw for 3,121 yards and 36 touchdowns with just eight interceptions. He led the nation in passing efficiency and his 36 touchdown passes stand as the NCAA freshman record. With a talented and experienced offensive line in front of him and an army of weapons at his disposal, Bradford should continue to improve in his sophomore season.

The Oklahoma offensive line is led by future NFL players Duke Robinson and Phil Loadholt. In fact, all five starters are back this season for an offensive line that ranks as one of the top units in the country.

The Sooners also welcome back wide receivers Juaquin Iglesias and Manuel Johnson. Iglesias led the team last season with 68 catches for 907 yards and five touchdowns. Junior Jermaine Gresham steps into the starting spot at tight end and appears to be someone to watch.

Senior running back Allen Patrick is gone, but the cupboard is anything but bare. The tandem of DeMarco Murray and Chris Brown combined for 1,375 yards and 22 touchdowns last season. Murray is just a sophomore, but he possesses great speed and elusiveness. He could very well have a huge season.

The defense only returns six starters, but three of them are along the defensive line. Oklahoma will have to rely on the front four to control the line of scrimmage; at least until the back seven get settled. The front four were equally successful at stopping the run and the pass in 2007.

The linebacker corps returns only one starter, Ryan Reynolds, who has a history of injury problems. The success of this unit could depend on the development of redshirt freshmen Travis Lewis and Austin Box, as well as junior college transfers J.R. Bryant and Mike Balogun.

The secondary returns both safeties from last season, Nic Harris and Lendy Holmes. Both have all-star potential and they’ll need to show it because the team will have two new starting cornerbacks this season. The likely starters are junior Brian Jackson and sophomore Dominique Franks. Both played well in the spring, but it remains to be seen how that translates into the season.

Receivers Iglesias and Murray return for the top kickoff return unit in the nation last season. Mike Knall returns as one of the Big 12′s best punters, but Oklahoma needs someone to step up and win the kicker job.

The schedule is favorable for the Sooners to make a run at the national title. The one possible roadblock is October 11th when Oklahoma travels to Dallas to face Texas. Bradford should continue to impress with talent all around him. If the defense can hide its inexperience, the Sooners should prevail as Big 12 South champions and make a play for their eighth national championship.

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Ohio State’s last two seasons ended in heartbreak with losses in the national title game. Two years ago, Florida routed the Buckeyes, 41-14. Last season, it was another SEC foe, LSU, who stomped Ohio State, 38-24. With almost all starters returning, I expect Ohio State to make another run at the national championship.

Junior running back Chris “Beanie” Wells is coming off a season in which he ran for over 1,600 yards and 15 touchdowns. Included in that yardage total is a 222-yard performance against rival Michigan. It stands as the best rushing performance ever for a Buckeye against Michigan. Wells also tallied 146 yards in the BCS National Championship Game against LSU.

Quarterback Todd Boeckman returns for his senior season. With Wells in the backfield and a veteran offensive line protecting him, Boeckman should have little trouble getting the ball to his favorite targets, wide receivers Brian Robiskie and Brian Hartline. Robiskie led the team last season with 55 catches for 935 yards and 11 touchdowns. Hartline wasn’t too far behind Robiskie with 52 receptions of his own. Robiskie and Hartline must stay healthy because Ohio State has no clear third receiving threat at this time.

Defensively, the Buckeyes were nearly invincible last season. Ohio State ranked first nationally in points allowed per game (12.8), passing yards allowed per game (150.2) and total yards per game (233). They were also third nationally in rushing yards allowed per game (82.9).

Ohio State plays a 4-3 defense that gets regular pressure on passing downs and reroutes running plays to the middle where linebacker James Laurinaitis resides. Laurinaitis, a Butkus Award winner, has size, speed and all the intangibles. Outside linebacker Marcus Freeman has been second on the team in tackles (behind Laurinaitis) each of the last two seasons and I can easily see that happening again this season.

Ohio State is deep along the defensive line, which will allow them to keep fresh bodies on the field at all times. The secondary is also very talented with all four starters returning, including Thorpe Award candidate Malcolm Jenkins. Jenkins, a senior cornerback, will be joined in the secondary by fellow cornerback Donald Washington and safeties Kurt Coleman and Anderson Russell.

Ohio State should see improvement in their kick return coverage this season with the return of Aaron Pettrey, who was injured for a majority of last season. Punter A.J. Trapasso also returns. Trapasso is very skilled at placing kicks inside the opponent’s 20-yard line. Ryan Pretorius, an accurate kicker, is also back for his senior season.

I wouldn’t be the least bit surprised to see this team back in the national title game for the third straight year. They have nine starters returning on both sides of the ball, including some All-American candidates. They also have head coach Jim Tressel, who has already won a Division I-A national title.

The defense should be fierce once again, even without Vernon Gholston. If the offense can sustain drives and limit turnovers (Boeckman threw 14 interceptions last season and Wells has a history of fumbling), then I can see Ohio State right back in the national title game in January 2009.

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