Take the Money and Run

If you're like me, you really like betting on college football. You do it for fun and to maybe make a few bucks here and there. If you're doing to make money or you don't have fun with it anymore, then hang it up. Don't bet beyond your means and DON'T BET TO MAKE MONEY, or you will end up in the hole and just dig yourself deeper and deeper. OK! That's my life lesson for the day, so now lets get to the fun stuff -- this week's college football lines. This will be a weekly column and I will talk about the most interesting lines and a few of my favorites. Don't go and bet the house on my picks, because you'll probably end up living in a cardboard box, but let's have fun with this. Let me know what y'all think in the comments section.

A FEW TO KEEP AN EYE ON

Navy at Penn State: This game opened at Penn State -8.5 and early action on Navy has already moved the line to -6 at Wynn. This line is one to keep and eye on because bettors have really bet hard against Penn State the first two weeks. Penn State covered against Virginia last week after the line opened at UVa -6 and was bet up to -10.

ULM at Auburn: Auburn, to the surprise of some, opened up as a 17 point favorite over the Warhawks. ULM beat Arkansas as 21 point dogs last week while Auburn was embarrassed by Mississippi State. The line has been bet down to 16.5 and is holding there for now. It will be interesting to see what the line does over the course of the week since Auburn looked so bad last week while ULM pulled the upset of the season so far. This line will probably hang around in 15.5 to 17 point range.

Alabama at Arkansas; The Crimson Tide opened up as 13 point favorites in this matchup but have quickly been bet up -14 at the Wynn. With Tyler Wilson's status in serious doubt, the public will likely bet this line up even higher. Also, no team - except for maybe Texas - has fans who like to bet on their team more than Alabama. The public combined with Alabama fans could easily drive this line to at least -15, maybe even higher. However, if Wilson is able to go, look for the line to stay around 14.

UPSET SPECIAL

Utah State at Wisconsin: The Badgers opened up as 12.5 point favorites and have quickly been bet up to 14. I think that's too many points. Wisconsin has been very unimpressive in its first two games, and Utah State is coming off a big win against in-state rival Utah. Utah State has the offense to score points on Wisconsin, and the Badgers' offense has sputtered so far this season to say the least. Utah State could very well win outright, but at the least, I see them covering the 14 points.

THANKS FOR THE FREE MONEY, VEGAS

It should be noted that there's no such thing as free money; that's just a catchy subtitle. But this section will feature the three or four games that I think are winners for the week. I will have a confidence level on each one, but remember: THIS IS NOT BETTING ADVICE, and I am not responsible if you win or lose. So please for the love of all things holy, don't bet the house, car, wife and first-born child on my picks!

Virginia Tech at Pittsburgh: The Hokies opened up as nine-point favorites, and to no surprise, they have been bet up to 10.5 overnight. Pittsburgh is a very bad football team right now and was absolutely dismantled by Cincinnati last week. The Panther defense is atrocious and has gotten torched in its first two games. The offense hasn't been much better, either, even with returning quarterback Tino Sunseri and All-Big East tailback Ray Graham. Graham still doesn't fully trust his surgically repaired knee, and Pitt will be facing the best defense it has seen all year. Look for Logan Thomas to have a field day against the Pitt defense and the Hokie defense to key on Graham and force Sunseri to beat its very talented secondary. Virginia Tech 35 Pittsburgh 10. Confidence Level: Very High.

Florida at Tennessee: This game opened up as a pick 'em but has quickly been bet up to Tennessee -2.5 at the Wynn. Florida won last week but was torched by a true freshman quarterback in the first half. Will Muschamp and his staff made good adjustments at halftime and held the Aggies scoreless in the second half, but the offense and Jeff Driskel are still a work in progress and still inconsistent. Tennessee, on the other hand, has one of the best, if not the best, quarterbacks in the SEC right now in Tyler Bray. Bray has torched his first two opponents, and while Florida is very solid on defense, the Gators also haven't seen a quarterback near the caliber of Bray. Tennessee's defense is also talented and will give Driskel trouble all afternoon. Tennessee will come out firing on offense and Florida just doesn't have the offensive firepower to keep up. Tennessee 28 Florida 17. Confidence Level: Medium-High.

Southern Cal at Stanford: USC opened up as a six-point favorite but has already been bet up a field goal to -9.5. Stanford has always played USC well, and the Trojans struggled a little with Syracuse through two and a half quarters last week until their offensive firepower eventually took over. That's exactly what will happen with Stanford. The Cardinal will hang in for a half or so, and then the combination of Barkley, Woods and Lee will prove too much. That trio can score on anyone at pretty much any time they please. Southern Cal 45 Stanford 21. Confidence Level: High.