Vegas baby!

How about some mindless blather?

Discussion of college football betting lines a month and a half before the game is played? Worthless.

I won't deny that for a second.

What's the alternative though? Comment on the special-needs monkeys giving play-by-play of the X Games?

Please.

The good news for Ohio State fans? They won't have to wait for the bowl game to answer the burning question.

Justified or not, the 800 lb. gorilla in the room for Buckeye Nation right now, can our team really hang with the big boys?

It won't take long to find out.

The Buckeyes will descend upon southern California on September 13th to take on Pete Carroll's Trojans in the most important non-conference game of the 2008 season. The loudmouths below the Mason-Dixon line can piss and moan all they want to, the most anticipated game of the year doesn't involve an SEC team.

If I have this right (and it's entirely possible that I don't), the line for the USC-OSU game opened up in the 4.5 range, with Southern Cal being favored? If I'm not mistaken, it quickly ran up to 5.5 in favor of USC.

My guess is the 'dumb money' will assume that Ohio State is indeed outclassed against the likes of USC and will get smashed. It's not all that difficult to find anonymous internet braggarts who are certain the Buckeyes will get embarrassed at USC.

Consider this though. Ohio State starts out at home against Youngstown State and then Ohio University. Will those games be boring as all get-out? Yes.

Tressel has decided that pounding in-state teams is not on his agenda. While it's somewhat admirable, I have to say that watching the Buckeyes beat both Rice and Pitt by 70 points was far more gratifying then the diplomatic mercy currently being doled out to the in-state also-rans.

Conversely, while the Buckeyes are tuning up against the Penguins and the Bobcats, Southern Cal will be making the lengthy journey to Charlottesville, VA to take on the Cavaliers. That's there only game before hosting Ohio State.

I've been to a football game at the University of Virginia. It's in the middle of fucking nowhere, and I was traveling there from the east coast, not Los Angeles. It's a hike.

Is it possible that the Trojans will obliterate Virginia? Yes.

However, my guess is that game will end up being closer then people anticipate, especially with a relatively green QB (Mark Sanchez) running the show for USC. I fully expect the Trojans to win that game and I want the Trojans to win that game.

I want Southern Cal to be the 'Southern Cal' that everyone's been drooling all over for the last few years when the Buckeyes roll into LA and slap those motherfuckers. That's what would be best in my opinion.

As far as the line is concerned, my guess is the spread will slowly get bigger and bigger leading up to the season because of the idiots out there that think the Buckeyes have no chance of hanging with USC. However, when USC plays UVA and doesn't beat them by four TD's (while OSU is waxing YSU and OU) the realization will set in and the line will go the other way.

When Ohio State plays USC this year, the Trojans will be favored by 4.5 points.

Be sure to remind me when I'm totally and completely wrong.