Sports betting is a tough gig. Players are inundated with info, tips, and advice, which runs the gamut from right on to totally worthless.
Reliable, accurate, timely input is the currency that we value most highly. While the Internet is awash with the latest dope, separating gold nuggets from leaden dross is the challenge we all face.
Putting our money on a team based on erroneous input is the dark side of this thing we do. As the gridiron season approaches, the dazzling array of football annuals available at newsstands is an obvious source of information. But finding the right stuff means wading through an endless sea of verbiage.
We've perused an ungodly number of these pubs, and have been impressed with both the sharp intuitive analysis of some, and underwhelmed by the utterly sophomoric, shallow and lame attempts at handicapping of others.
Whether on the money, or woefully off the mark, by the end of the season these projections generally are long forgotten. So, let's record some picks, and revisit them at the appropriate time to check the magazines' batting average.
The following is a potpourri of pre-season picks garnered from a representative sample of leading football annuals. The accuracy of these selections will be validated either as the gold standard, or exposed as dross come judgment day.
College Football
Phil Steele's College Football
BCS National Title Game: Oklahoma vs. Auburn
This year's surprise team: Louisville; A win over Miami (who could very well win the ACC) would give them a shot of playing in the National Title game.
StatFox Edge
BCS National Title Game: Texas vs. Florida State
ATS Consultants Ultimate College Football Annual
BCS National Title Game: Notre Dame vs. Ohio State
Street & Smith's College Football
BCS National Title Game: Ohio State vs. West Virginia
Sporting News College Football
BCS National Title Game: Notre Dame vs. Ohio State
The Gold Sheet College & Pro Football Annual
BCS National Title Game: Oklahoma vs. Auburn
NFL
The Gold Sheet College & Pro Football Annual
AFC Champ: Denver
NFC Champ: Carolina
Super Bowl XLI Champ: Denver
Statfox Edge
AFC Champ: Denver
NFC Champ: Dallas
S.B. Champ: Denver
ATS Consultants Ultimate Pro Football Annual
AFC Champ: Jacksonville
NFC Champ: Dallas
S.B. Champ: Dallas
Sporting News Pro Football
AFC Champ: Pittsburgh
NFC Champ: Carolina
S.B. Champ: Pittsburgh
Street Smith's Pro Football
AFC Champ: Denver
NFC Champ: Carolina
S.B. Champ: Carolina
Reliable, accurate, timely input is the currency that we value most highly. While the Internet is awash with the latest dope, separating gold nuggets from leaden dross is the challenge we all face.
Putting our money on a team based on erroneous input is the dark side of this thing we do. As the gridiron season approaches, the dazzling array of football annuals available at newsstands is an obvious source of information. But finding the right stuff means wading through an endless sea of verbiage.
We've perused an ungodly number of these pubs, and have been impressed with both the sharp intuitive analysis of some, and underwhelmed by the utterly sophomoric, shallow and lame attempts at handicapping of others.
Whether on the money, or woefully off the mark, by the end of the season these projections generally are long forgotten. So, let's record some picks, and revisit them at the appropriate time to check the magazines' batting average.
The following is a potpourri of pre-season picks garnered from a representative sample of leading football annuals. The accuracy of these selections will be validated either as the gold standard, or exposed as dross come judgment day.
College Football
Phil Steele's College Football
BCS National Title Game: Oklahoma vs. Auburn
This year's surprise team: Louisville; A win over Miami (who could very well win the ACC) would give them a shot of playing in the National Title game.
StatFox Edge
BCS National Title Game: Texas vs. Florida State
ATS Consultants Ultimate College Football Annual
BCS National Title Game: Notre Dame vs. Ohio State
Street & Smith's College Football
BCS National Title Game: Ohio State vs. West Virginia
Sporting News College Football
BCS National Title Game: Notre Dame vs. Ohio State
The Gold Sheet College & Pro Football Annual
BCS National Title Game: Oklahoma vs. Auburn
NFL
The Gold Sheet College & Pro Football Annual
AFC Champ: Denver
NFC Champ: Carolina
Super Bowl XLI Champ: Denver
Statfox Edge
AFC Champ: Denver
NFC Champ: Dallas
S.B. Champ: Denver
ATS Consultants Ultimate Pro Football Annual
AFC Champ: Jacksonville
NFC Champ: Dallas
S.B. Champ: Dallas
Sporting News Pro Football
AFC Champ: Pittsburgh
NFC Champ: Carolina
S.B. Champ: Pittsburgh
Street Smith's Pro Football
AFC Champ: Denver
NFC Champ: Carolina
S.B. Champ: Carolina