STICK WITH RICK: UCLA-Oregon Watch Party

[Beyond the Bets]

I've made fun of Rick Neuheisel incessantly on this site all season long. But tonight, I want to give him a fond farewell.

Neuheisel, as you no doubt have heard, will be coaching his final game at UCLA tonight against Oregon in the Pac-12 championship game.

I'll be rolling with UCLA +31.5 and I believe wholeheartedly that you'll see an inspired, determined effort out of the Bruins. In addition, I think there's incredible value on UCLA, and for a few reasons:

1. The line is an overreaction to last week's 50-0 loss to USC. I made one of my bigger plays of the year on the Trojans last week because I knew the Bruins wouldn't care. They had already earned a Pac-12 title berth and didn't need to prove anything. I thought they'd show up and just be "happy to be there," and that's exactly what happened. They didn't arrive to the Coliseum with the mental edge necessary to compete with a better, more talented opponent.

2. No team, regardless of how bad it is, wants to be told all week that they suck and that they are unworthy of the opportunity to play for a conference title. UCLA doesn't believe it should be four-touchdown dogs and will have plenty more to prove than the Ducks, who probably think they can coast to an easy win and punch their ticket to the Rose Bowl.

3. Win One For The Gipper. I can't believe I'm falling for this shit, but the Bruins carried Neuheisel off the practice field on Wednesday, and that's the type of corny shit that I can't get enough of. They'll be playing their final game for a coach that they still like and respect, and if you don't think that's powerful, then you don't understand motivation (wow, BTB, that sounded pompous.)

4. Rick Neuheisel wants to give a big "F*ck you" to his AD Dan Guerrero on his way out the door. While it's far-fetched to think UCLA will win this game, I do think Neuheisel will call a very conservative game and try to use up as much clock as possible. "Just keep it close," he'll say.

5. I keep hearing about how Oregon loves to run up the score. Well, if that's the case, then why has Oregon only beaten one Pac-12 team by more than 30 points all season?

6. IT'S THIRTY-ONE POINTS!!!

For those that are interested, I'd like to have a special "Farewell to Neuheisel" in-game thread for lots of hilarious banter throughout the game. If you're betting on UCLA, great, it should be fun. If not, well, it will still be fun. I'll be bashing Rick even as I bet on him for literally the first time in years.

I'll be giving away prizes throughout the game to folks who can answer Neuheisel trivia questions. Additional prizes will be awarded to those who pull off MS Paint or Photoshop jobs that make me laugh.

[The Peoples Champ]

(12-02-2011 04:28 PM)Beyond the Bets Wrote:  I've made fun of Rick Neuheisel incessantly on this site all season long. But tonight, I want to give him a fond farewell.

Neuheisel, as you no doubt have heard, will be coaching his final game at UCLA tonight against Oregon in the Pac-12 championship game.

I'll be rolling with UCLA +31.5 and I believe wholeheartedly that you'll see an inspired, determined effort out of the Bruins. In addition, I think there's incredible value on UCLA, and for a few reasons:

1. The line is an overreaction to last week's 50-0 loss to USC. I made one of my bigger plays of the year on the Trojans last week because I knew the Bruins wouldn't care. They had already earned a Pac-12 title berth and didn't need to prove anything. I thought they'd show up and just be "happy to be there," and that's exactly what happened. They didn't arrive to the Coliseum with the mental edge necessary to compete with a better, more talented opponent.

2. No team, regardless of how bad it is, wants to be told all week that they suck and that they are unworthy of the opportunity to play for a conference title. UCLA doesn't believe it should be four-touchdown dogs and will have plenty more to prove than the Ducks, who probably think they can coast to an easy win and punch their ticket to the Rose Bowl.

3. Win One For The Gipper. I can't believe I'm falling for this shit, but the Bruins carried Neuheisel off the practice field on Wednesday, and that's the type of corny shit that I can't get enough of. They'll be playing their final game for a coach that they still like and respect, and if you don't think that's powerful, then you don't understand motivation (wow, BTB, that sounded pompous.)

4. Rick Neuheisel wants to give a big "F*ck you" to his AD Dan Guerrero on his way out the door. While it's far-fetched to think UCLA will win this game, I do think Neuheisel will call a very conservative game and try to use up as much clock as possible. "Just keep it close," he'll say.

5. I keep hearing about how Oregon loves to run up the score. Well, if that's the case, then why has Oregon only beaten one Pac-12 team by more than 30 points all season?

6. IT'S THIRTY-ONE POINTS!!!

For those that are interested, I'd like to have a special "Farewell to Neuheisel" in-game thread for lots of hilarious banter throughout the game. If you're betting on UCLA, great, it should be fun. If not, well, it will still be fun. I'll be bashing Rick even as I bet on him for literally the first time in years.

I'll be giving away prizes throughout the game to folks who can answer Neuheisel trivia questions. Additional prizes will be awarded to those who pull off MS Paint or Photoshop jobs that make me laugh.

I locked in UCLA for pretty much those same reasons, and will be around tonight!

[ChiefZilla]

Sounds hilarious. I took it when it was +31.5 as well so I'm in!

NEUHEISEL!!!

[RyanParrill]

For some unknown reason, I have yet to get my degenerate self to pull the trigger on UCLA. Still time before the game, I suppose.

EDIT: No longer true, bet it. As far as I can tell, this is Rick's last chance to rape me. Probably not rape now that I've acknowledged it.

[mount187]

It's not related to Rick H., but I made this picture with Photoshop this morning, does that count:

https://twitter.com/#!/AaronMount/status...3312854016

[atk825]

The monopoly was fun while it lasted...from 1991-1998 with Terry Donahue.

[louiemdj]

It's at 32 now, I might even be able to get it a couple points higher. I'm jumping on the bandwagon, go Bruins!

[itg_sports]

The local line was at (+33)...I took it just because of BTB nation peer pressure.

[louiemdj]

(12-02-2011 06:44 PM)itg_sports Wrote:  The local line was at (+33)...I took it just because of BTB nation peer pressure.

Same here, I got 33.

[itg_sports]

(12-02-2011 06:50 PM)louiemdj Wrote:  

(12-02-2011 06:44 PM)itg_sports Wrote:  The local line was at (+33)...I took it just because of BTB nation peer pressure.

Same here, I got 33.

This may be the first time in my life that I have gotten the sharpest line and its only because my local shades his favorites because he knows I'm a marble.

[Skating Tripods]

(12-02-2011 06:56 PM)itg_sports Wrote:  This may be the first time in my life that I have gotten the sharpest line and its only because my local shades his favorites because he knows I'm a marble.

Get a Bodog account and you'll almost always get a good line on dogs and unders.

Just sit, wait, and watch until right before tip/kickoff. Waited on Marist to go from 13 to 14 yesterday. Lost 76-63. Waited on USF/WVU under until it got to 57 right before kick. Wound up a push, but only because of D/ST TDs.

[oddsok]

It's moving up and down but is still hanging around 31 at most off shores.

The pressure from the BTB clan is immense! The degenerate in me wants to jump on board

[ChiefZilla]

By my count, Oregon has been favored by 31 or more seven times since 2009.

The opponents (with Oregon's W/L ATS result):
Missouri State (L), Washington State (L), New Mexico (W), Portland State (W), Washington State (L), Washington (P), Washington State (W).

So that's a 3-3-1 ATS record, but look at the opponents ... three awful Washington State teams (1-2 ATS), two FCS teams (1-1 ATS), New Mexico (!!!!!), and Washington (0-0-1 ATS).

Now they're this big of a favorite against UCLA? Just seems like it's gotten out of hand. Spread seems like it should be anywhere from 24-28. This sounds like a douchey thing to say (and it probably is), but I'll still feel good about taking the "value" in this bet even if Oregon wins 69-0.

Yep, I'm an idiot and will laugh at this post around 10 p.m. CT.

[The Peoples Champ]

Got this at 31.5 from my local, has a UCLA grad in his clientele so I'm not the only one backing the Bruins. Don't think I've ever been nor will ever be this excited to back this big of a dog!

[oddsok]

I succumbed to the hype and the pressure and took +32.

Ride the Neuheisel train!

[Beyond the Bets]

STICK WITH RICK!!!

[ChiefZilla]

WE ARE UCLA!!!

[Beyond the Bets]

I am going to regret every nice/positive thing I write about this crappy UCLA team under this crappy coach, but anybody else think there's some good value on UCLA +7.5 first quarter?

[SkyBlues42]

We are UCLA. We are NOT a football team. But we CAN cover a 4+ TD spread!

This pains me

[The Peoples Champ]

(12-02-2011 08:11 PM)Beyond the Bets Wrote:  I am going to regret every nice/positive thing I write about this crappy UCLA team under this crappy coach, but anybody else think there's song good value on UCLA +7.5 first quarter?

I do. You said earlier about Neuheisel running clock tonight, and I think that will hold true in the first quarter. Games like this tend to start slow, making the hook huge, and with this team knowing they are hearing good ole' Rick's final pre-game speech, I think they come out flying.