Run It Up College Trainers
Stats, trends and betting angles all factor into handicap analysis. Another factor to consider is training. There are coaches in both professional and college football who consistently cover the spread. For the most part, coaches don’t consider the distribution of points from each game and certainly rarely talk about it. Former Washington coach Rick Neuheisel was fired because he was playing a college basketball tournament in the school pool, so you’ll never find a coach who says, “We hope to cover the number this weekend.”
However, it is important to understand why certain trainers frequently cover and why some continually fail in ATS. A big part of this is preparation, organization and in-game adjustments. Soccer is all about organizing 30-40 players each week to perform at a high level and that’s not easy to do. Super Bowl-winning coaches like Bill Parcells, Bill Belichick and Bill Walsh have that ability. They are able to maximize the strengths of a team, have a talent for teaching, and get the most out of athletes and their teams.
Also, some coaches, particularly the ones with good offensive minds, get a reputation for raising the score. They do it to win games, of course, or to help their team’s poll rankings. When Jimmy Johnson was in Miami Florida, I remember a game where he deliberately upped the score at Notre Dame, winning 58-7 on national television, because he needed a boost in the polls to have a shot at a national title game. in the bowls Here’s a look at some current trainers who cover consistently or have a reputation for recovery.
June Jones (Hawaii): I don’t think Jones is purposely racking up points this season, but you have to be impressed with his run-and-gun offense. It’s all running behind quarterback Colt Brennan with the team’s best in scoring and passing. They crushed Idaho 68-10 on Saturday and Brennan has an NCAA-leading 33 TD assists. They beat New Mexico State 49-30 two weeks ago, which was on the heels of an impressive 68-37 win in Fresno. Hawaii is 5-0-1 ATS this season because of that explosive offense. Hawaii is also 12-5 ATS in its last 17 home games.
Bobby Petrino (Louisville): Another brilliant, offensive-minded teacher. The Cardinals are averaging 43 points and over 210 rushing and passing yards! Thanks to USC’s drop, the pivotal game between West Virginia and Louisville on Thursday will be the first top-five matchup for the rebuilt Big East. The third-ranked Mountaineers and fifth-ranked Cardinals each moved up one spot in the AP poll. Louisville is 22-12 ATS in its last 34 games.
Jim Tressel (Ohio State): Tressel has always preferred a balanced offense, but over the past two seasons he’s had so many offensive weapons that the Buckeyes have been harassing everyone. They just shutout Minnesota 44-0. And that followed a 44-3 win over Indiana as the Buckeyes posted their first consecutive wins by 40 or more points since 1996. Ohio State has outscored opponents 161-17 in the last four games. Ohio State is 16-0 SU, 15-1 ATS in their last 16 games! By the way, the Buckeyes are 34-2 SU, 24-10-1 ATS in their last 36 home games.
Frank Beamer (Virginia Tech): Don’t feel sorry for the Hokies after losing two in a row at Georgia Tech and BC. They currently have a winning margin mark this season after beating Southern Miss and Clemson in the last two games. It’s the third straight year they’ve posted a winning ATS record and Beamer is 23-9 in ATS Virginia Tech’s last 32 games. They’re also on pace to post a winning home record for the fourth straight year.
Steve Spurrier (South Carolina): The grandfather of rising coaches is still getting the job done. His days in Florida were legendary, with several games moving the ball and scoring late in wins. A game where they were throwing the ball for a late TD in the dying seconds to cover! His Gamecocks are also solid ATS winners. Despite the loss to Tennessee on Saturday, South Carolina is 5-2 ATS this season and 11-8 ATS since he was there. Don’t underestimate the value of above average trainers! Good luck, as always… To McMordie.