Buckeyes try to temper all the hype

NCAA Football Betting Lines

08/28/2010 -

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) -Terrelle Pryor doesn't read a lot.

Sure, he keeps up with his classwork. But all those preseason magazines on the rack at the book store? He ignores them because off all the good things they're saying about him and his Ohio State teammates.

``Actually I hate magazines,'' the junior quarterback said. ``I don't even want to see that, because I don't want my mind to be distracted.''

It's hard to avoid all the praise that's being lavished on the Buckeyes

Almost every poll, pundit and publication has them ranked among the top two or three teams in the land. Many have singled out Pryor as the Heisman Trophy favorite, even though Alabama's Mark Ingram is back after winning it last year. And several media outlets have already picked Ohio State to win the national championship.

Pryor looks at all those nice words as more hurdles to the Buckeyes' hopes. To him, all the compliments in the world won't win games. As a matter of fact, they might make it harder.

``We don't need none of the hype,'' Pryor said. ``There's always going to be the roundup of the top teams. We don't need to read any of that stuff. We just need to focus and to take care of the business we need to take care of.''

It's a trap that many teams fall into, or at least blame after the fact. Every single team every year says it is unified and focused, then a loss springs questions about whether players let up or thought they could win without maximum effort.

That was the common refrain from Ohio State players in the wake of their embarrassing, lopsided losses to Florida and LSU in the national championship games at the end of the 2006 and 2007 seasons. Some said the team's stars began to believe their press clippings and didn't work as hard. They said there were schisms on the team.

``You think back to the '06 year where the team was unbelievable,'' defensive lineman Dexter Larimore said. ``We stuck together. Then guys started to kind of think they were better than they were. Then it kind of just all fell apart. In '07 it wasn't as bad as far as the team thinking they were all so good. In '07 we were all humble and stuff, but we just didn't get it done.''

The younger players learn from the older ones. They hear the stories of the root problems behind a loss. So players gradually come around to believe that it is best to avoid all the good things that are said about them.

Defensive end Cameron Heyward was asked how he handles the lofty rankings and predictions.

``Just throw it in the trash,'' Heyward said. ``Because if we believe it, we're going to get beat really quick.''

Heyward is certainly not alone. Almost every Buckeye believes that to pay attention to the good things being said is the first step in a season spiraling out of control.

``We really just try to shut it out,'' linebacker Ross Homan said. ``It's good being in camp because we really shut out all outside sources, all media sources. We kind of just focus on the team. We come out here and we don't even think about that stuff.''

His running mate at linebacker, Brian Rolle, knows it's important to put things into perspective.

``The polls haven't played anybody. So they just go off of what we've done previously,'' he said. ``At the end of the day the way we play is going to determine where we're ranked.''

Just as the Buckeyes try not to dwell on the praise, some of the veterans are spurred on by the snickering they heard after the double humiliations to Southeastern Conference opponents in those back-to-back title games.

For instance, even before the next season began, one e-mail looked ahead to the '09 title game: ``National championship game prediction: (insert random SEC team here) 49, Ohio State 10,'' the anonymous jokester wrote on a blog.

Memories of those losses still rankle the older Buckeyes.

``As a player, that kind of stuff lives with you,'' Larimore said. ``So I never kind of think I'm ever too good because all you have to do is think back to those years. It's just unbelievable the things that they said.

``It's just unbelievable that you can do so well and all it takes is one day for four hours and all of a sudden you're the worst thing that ever happened.''Copyright © 2005 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. The information contained in the AP News report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without the prior written authority of The Associated Press.

Wfodors NCAA Football Betting News

<< London tackling Virginia job from all sides
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. (AP) -Mike London didn't realize how consumed he had become with his new job as Virginia's football coach until his daughter asked him a question.``Dad, are you coming to my concert?'' Jaicyn asked about her elementary school pe

<< Pats defense must rebound from shaky performance
FOXBOROUGH, Mass. (AP) - New England's defense must get better if the Patriots want to stop Terrell Owens and Chad Ochocinco.A lot better.With one exhibition game left before their season opener against the Cincinnati Bengals, the Patriots have plen

<< Rollins' evasive slide helps Phillies top Padres in extras
San Diego, CA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Jimmy Rollins doubled off the right-field wall to open the 12th inning and scored on Placido Polanco's base hit up the middle, lifting the Phillies to a 3-2 win over the Padres in the opener of a three-g

<< Burris, Calgary continue to roll; Lions drop seventh straight
Vancouver, BC (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Henry Burris threw two touchdowns and ran in another as he led the Calgary Stampeders to a 48-35 win over the British Columbia Lions at Empire Field. The Stamps (7-1) won for the seventh time in their

<< Mauer, Baker lead Twins over Mariners
Seattle, WA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Joe Mauer had three hits with two RBI and Scott Baker pitched into the seventh inning, as the American League Central- leading Minnesota Twins beat Seattle, 6-3, in the opener of a three-game series

Beadles out to start as a rookie >>
ENGLEWOOD, Colo. (AP) - Rookie hazing didn't spare Zane Beadles, whose mop of hair earlier this month was reduced to stubble by the Denver Broncos' veteran players.``It still shocks me every time I walk in front of the mirror,'' Beadles said.Nearly

Kariya to sit out 2010-11 season >>
Winnipeg, MB (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Free agent winger Paul Kariya will not play in the 2010-11 NHL season because of post-concussion syndrome. The news was announced by Kariya's agent, Don Baizley, according to multiple media outlets. Kariy

Padres' Jerry Hairston Jr. going to the DL >>
San Diego, CA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The San Diego Padres will place infielder Jerry Hairston Jr. on the disabled list Saturday with a strained elbow ligament. Hairston has been playing with pain in his right elbow for weeks, accordi

No. 7 Sooners in need of kickers >>
NORMAN, Okla. (AP) -Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops is scrambling to see if anyone can do better than his inconsistent group of kickers.About 25 kicking hopefuls were among the students who showed up for tryouts open for every position Thursday. Stoops sa

Tigers, Blue Jays continue series up north >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - A four-game series between the hometown Toronto Blue Jays and the visiting Detroit Tigers continues with the third installment of this set Saturday afternoon. Yesterday, Aaron Hill drove in the game-winning run with a

FOOTBALL BETTING : Cassel Signs Contract

Kansas City, MO - Kansas City has not officially named Matt Cassel its starting quarterback, but there can be no doubt now.

NFL Betting
After praising his leadership and work ethic through spring workouts, the Chiefs announced Tuesday they had signed the 27-year-old Cassel to a multiyear contract. Terms were not disclosed, but he will almost certainly be one of the highest-paid members of the team.
"We are excited to be able to reach a long-term agreement for Matt Cassel to be a Kansas City Chief for many years to come," owner and board chairman Clark Hunt said in a statement. "His proven leadership on and off the field will be a tremendous asset to the organization."
Patriots made him their franchise player, meaning his salary for this season will be about $15 million.
New head coach Todd Haley, taking over for Herm Edwards after a 2-14 season, refused to name a starter at any position during offseason workouts. But it was obvious to everyone the team belonged to Cassel.
"I go out there each and every day with that focus that I'm the starter," Cassel said during a June minicamp. "Competition brings out the best in everybody."
The signing will come as welcome news to Cassel's new coaches and teammates. Amiable and hardworking, online football betting he appeared to win over everyone at minicamp.
"I think he's got some unique leadership qualities. I think his teammates like him and have respect for him. I think he's doing a pretty good job on the field, too," Haley said last month. "He's doing everything that I'm asking him, that our coaches are asking him to do. I don't have one single complaint how he's carrying himself."
After one workout, wide receiver Devard Darling declared Cassel "a breath of fresh air."
"He has a lot of swagger, a lot of confidence. It's good for us," said Darling. "We trust in him that he's going to go out there and lead us all the way."
nse to accommodate his specific abilities.
Trapped on the bench behind Heisman winners Carson Palmer and Matt Leinart at USC and then unable to unseat Super Bowl MVP Brady at New England, Cassel seemed destined to be a backup all his life. As Brady was helped off the field last September, Cassel seized the opportunity he'd been waiting for since high school.
In his only sustained action since his teens, he hit 349 of 555 passes for 3,949 yards at New England. He had 23 touchdown passes and 13 interceptions as the Patriots, who had gone unbeaten through the regular season the year before, finished 11-5 and out of the playoffs.
Chiefs general manager Scott Pioli, who had been Bill Belichick's assistant in New England, engineered the trade after the Patriots became convinced that Brady would recover fully from his knee operation.
"Since Matt arrived in Kansas City, he has embraced the team and the community," Pioli said. "His work ethic, his ability and competitive presence is what we expect from our players."

NFL Betting Lines

To visit this sportsbook go to MySportsbook.com for all your college football betting needs.

You've come to the right place if you're searching for a great legal online sportsbook ! The sportsbooks featured on this page accept sports wagers for the NBA, MLB, NHL, NFL, NCAA, Tennis, Soccer, Auto-Racing, Golf, Boxing, Horseracing, and many more. Using the information displayed on this page, you'll be able to make a wise-decision when selecting an online sportsbook and wagering service.

If you've never wagered at an online sportsbook before, you will find the process of starting to be straightforward. First, you choose a sportsbook from the list provided below. We feature the top sportsbooks on the web, with rankings based on company size, reputation, security, web site usability, and payment options. Once you've chosen the betting site that's right for you, the next step is online registration. You'll need to provide some basic information to create your account and receive a username and password. At this time, you'll also select a payment option. The books reviewed accept Visa, Mastercard, BankWire, and several others. Once you have an account created with the Sportsbook, you're ready to start wagering. You'll want to get familiar with their website and contact their Customer Service department if you have any questions.

Also, make sure you read the terms and conditions, which is usually located at the bottom of the homepage. The terms and conditions will outline all of the rules and regulations for the sportsbook. Once you are comfortable with the website and fully understand all of the rules, you are ready to start betting on your favorite sports teams or even on some hot current events!

To visit this online sportsbook got to MySportsbook.com for all your football betting needs.