The kickoff of the 2008 season still is weeks away but
\nthere are at least a couple of good reasons why college football betting should
\nbe near the top of your wagering playbook right now.<\/o:p><\/p>\n

<\/u1:p><\/p>\n

For starters, it\u2019s never too early to begin
\nresearching the upcoming gridiron campaign, which begins with 14 games on
\nThursday, Aug. 28. More importantly, sportsbooks already have future book lines
\nposted, asking gamblers to wager on which university will be crowned the Bowl
\nChampion Series (BCS) national titleholder in Miami<\/st1:place><\/st1:City><\/st1:place><\/st1:city>,
\nJanuary
\n8, 2009<\/st1:date><\/st1:date>.<\/o:p><\/p>\n

<\/u1:p><\/p>\n

Sure, some future book lists are drenched with vigorish<\/span>, but savvy bettors understand that a swig of
\nbitter juice this summer may be worth the discomfort if you can taste the fruit
\nat the end of the vine come January. That\u2019s because while betting an individual
\nteam may have some value in and of itself, the real advantage is in holding a ticket
\non a live team for the BCS title game.<\/o:p><\/p>\n

<\/u1:p><\/p>\n

In that regard, bettors need not pick the winner of
\nthe BCS game, just one of the two participants. If you have the favorite in
\nfutures, then you can assure yourself a solid payday by betting the underdog in
\nthe championship game. You can take the points and possibly win twice-if your
\nfuture book favorite wins but does not cover-or opt for the dog on the money
\nline, where you\u2019ll only win once, but the return on the underdog will be
\ngreater.<\/o:p><\/p>\n

<\/u1:p><\/p>\n

If you hold a future book ducat on the BCS underdog,
\nthen a profit can be assured by betting the favorite on the money line.<\/o:p><\/p>\n

<\/u1:p><\/p>\n

Of course, before any of this college football
\nbetting manipulation can take place, you have to identify a likely candidate
\n(or three) for the BCS title game. Like last year, it\u2019s unlikely that the
\nchampionship game will feature an undefeated team and, as was the case last
\nseason, even a team with two defeats could play for the title.<\/o:p><\/p>\n

<\/u1:p><\/p>\n

With that in mind, let\u2019s look at some early
\ncontenders (future book odds in parentheses):<\/o:p><\/p>\n

Southern Cal<\/span><\/strong><\/st1:place> (3\/1):<\/span><\/strong> The Trojans
\nhave some huge holes to fill (seven players were drafted in the first two
\nrounds) but Coach Pete Carroll has shown an ability to quickly reload and this
\nyear should be no different. What\u2019s more, USC gets all its toughest foes\u2014Ohio
\nState<\/st1:City>, Oregon<\/st1:State><\/st1:place>, Cal<\/st1:place><\/st1:State>,
\nArizona<\/st1:PlaceName> State<\/st1:PlaceType><\/st1:place>
\nand Notre Dame\u2014at home, where they\u2019re 35-1, straight up, since 2001.<\/o:p><\/p>\n

<\/u1:p><\/p>\n

<\/u1:p>Florida
\n(13\/2):<\/span><\/strong> Sixteen returning starters, including Heisman Trophy
\nwinning quarterback Tim Tebow<\/span> auger well for the
\nGators making a strong rn<\/span> at their second national
\ntitle in three years. The schedule is favorable with top opponents LSU
\nand South Carolina<\/st1:place><\/st1:State> forced to
\nvisit The Swamp and Georgia on a neutral field in Jacksonville<\/st1:place><\/st1:City>.
\nStill, getting through the SEC minefield unscathed won\u2019t be easy.<\/o:p><\/p>\n

<\/u1:p><\/p>\n

<\/u1:p>Ohio<\/span><\/strong><\/st1:PlaceName> <\/span><\/strong>State<\/span><\/strong><\/st1:PlaceType><\/st1:place> (8\/1):<\/span><\/strong> The
\nBuckeyes return 19 starters from last year\u2019s BCS runner-up, the most of any
\nteam in the top 25. Their defense is rock solid but Ohio<\/st1:PlaceName>
\nSTate<\/span><\/st1:PlaceType><\/st1:place> has
\na September trip to USC that could derail their title aspirations, if only
\ntemporarily.<\/o:p><\/p>\n

<\/u1:p><\/p>\n

<\/u1:p>Oklahoma<\/span><\/strong><\/st1:place><\/st1:State> (10\/1): <\/span><\/strong>Sam
\nBradford, the NCAA\u2019s<\/span> most efficient quarterback last
\nseason, returns, as do a doszen<\/span> other starters,<\/span> and the Sooners meet all their most challenging
\nopponents including Texas Tech, Nebraska<\/st1:place><\/st1:State>
\nand Kansas<\/st1:place><\/st1:State>, at home. Missouri<\/st1:place><\/st1:State>
\nis ot<\/span><\/span> on this year\u2019s
\nschedule and, as usual, the game against Texas<\/st1:place><\/st1:State>
\nin Dallas<\/st1:place><\/st1:City>, Oct. 11, will go a long
\nway in deciding each team\u2019s future.<\/o:p><\/p>\n

<\/u1:p><\/p>\n

<\/u1:p>Georgia<\/span><\/strong><\/st1:place><\/st1:country-region> (10\/1):<\/span><\/strong> The good
\nnews is that the Bulldogs, who finished ranked second nationally a season ago,
\nreturn 17 starters. The bad news is that they have the third most
\ndifficult schedule in college football this year, paying top 25 teams LSU, Auburn<\/st1:place><\/st1:City>
\nand South Carolina<\/st1:place><\/st1:State> on the road
\nand Florida<\/st1:place><\/st1:State> on a neutral
\nfield. Win three out of four and Georgia<\/st1:place><\/st1:country-region>
\ncould be in the title game.<\/o:p><\/p>\n

<\/u1:p><\/p>\n

<\/u1:p>Texas<\/span><\/strong><\/st1:place><\/st1:State> (12\/1):<\/span><\/strong> Given a
\nbrutal schedule that features games against Oklahoma<\/st1:place><\/st1:State>,
\nTexas Tech, Missouri<\/st1:place><\/st1:State> and Kansas<\/st1:place><\/st1:State>,
\nwe think 12\/1 is a little light for a team that returns just 11 starters.<\/o:p><\/p>\n

<\/u1:p><\/p>\n

<\/u1:p>Virginia
\nTech (15\/1), Missouri (15\/1), LSU (18\/1), West Virginia (20\/1), Auburn (20\/1),
\nClemson (20\/1), Wisconsin (30\/1), Illinois (30\/1), Tennessee (30\/1) and Kansas
\n(33\/1)<\/span><\/strong> all have appeal
\nas college football betting future book longshots<\/span> who
\ncould surprise in what looks like a wide-open race to the BCS title.<\/o:p><\/b><\/p>\n