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Wed Aug 19, 2009 1:51 pm EDT

Fact-Checking: Florida a 73-point favorite? Something like that

By Matt Hinton

Here's how ridiculously high the alleged 73-point line for Florida's opener against Charleston Southern -- flying around at warp speed via blogs and tweets today -- really is: I actually bought a hard copy of a newspaper to confirm it. I haven't paid for a newspaper since I last worked for one three years ago. No, wait, we got them for free there. So I literally can't remember the last time I bought a newspaper before this morning.

But I had no other choice if I wanted to actually see the number listed, because you won't find any "official" line on the Web -- not only is Florida-Charleston Southern not listed on any "legit" Vegas sites, which don't issue odds for I-AA opponents, but it doesn't seem to be anywhere, including the various homes of its ostensible source, USA Today handicapper Danny Sheridan; Florida-Charleston Southern isn't listed among Sheridan's daily lines, or on his own Web site's lineup for the first week of the season, or on USA Today's college football odds page, or on USA Today's "matchup" page for the UF-CSC game. It's nowhere to be found.

As far as I can tell, the buzz around the "Florida –73" line this morning comes exclusively from a column posted Thursday by the (Columbia, SC) State's Ron Morris, who wrote that he read the line in USA Today, and suspected it was the most lopsided line ever issued for a college football game (probably true). I wrote Morris to point me toward some proof; being of the Web, I naturally expected a link in return, but wound up walking down the street to pick up today's USA Today instead.

So, one dollar down in the name of truth, and Morris was close:

Now, 63 points, or just nine touchdowns, that I totally believe.

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392 Comments

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  1. JEFF P
    1. Posted by JEFF P Wed Aug 19, 2009 2:21 pm EDT

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    Based on the fact that Tennesse stinks, I guess if Florida was playing Western Kentucky the line would be 163. I mean, really, with UT's QB situation they would be lucky to score 30 points on a high school team.
  2. comoprozac
    2. Posted by comoprozac Wed Aug 19, 2009 2:26 pm EDT

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    More importantly, Tennessee is picked to beat Western Kentucky by only 30.
  3. saturdaynitelights.com
    3. Posted by saturdaynitelights.com Wed Aug 19, 2009 2:42 pm EDT

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    I love my Gators, but lord that's embarrassing. As an aside, it would be wise to hope for UT cover and a subsequent defeat of the cuddly UCLA Bears., we need the SOS.
  4. STRANGLE HOLD
    4. Posted by STRANGLE HOLD Wed Aug 19, 2009 3:53 pm EDT

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    Thats something to be proud of Gators favored bye 73 points against a all girls school football team. Yeah Gator fans I can hear you pounding on your chest we are big and bad LMFAO at your big tuff schedule. Better watch out didnt Michigan get shocked bye 1 AA. lololololol
  5. just4funsies
    5. Posted by just4funsies Wed Aug 19, 2009 4:17 pm EDT

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    Oh please, S.B.K.... Gators have the same scenario that any major college would have against such a patsy opponent. It's lose/lose... The schedules were prepared years in advance, and nobody knew they would be coming off a title at that time. Almost everybody schedules a cupcake to start the season, because there is no preseason in which to evaluate players new in their positions. When teams were allowed to schedule an extra game not long ago, there weren't exactly many teams to choose from, so they got what they got. The schedule could have been tough, or it could have been easy, and this is just the way it shook out.
    Instead of blowing about how you hate this and hate that (which admittedly is about all a loser like you can do), why don't you turn your energy into doing something more productive, like finding something heavy and crushing your own skull...
  6. ess-eee-seee
    6. Posted by ess-eee-seee Wed Aug 19, 2009 5:12 pm EDT

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    Let me guess, SBK, you aren't only a fan of Florida State, you're also a professor.
  7. ZerO
    7. Posted by ZerO Wed Aug 19, 2009 5:17 pm EDT

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    73 point underdogs, this tells me 2 things, either Vegas hates CSC or Florida is that good, or maybe it's both. Whatever the case, Florida wins when they step on the field against CSC, guaranteed.
  8. RIPUGA6
    8. Posted by RIPUGA6 Wed Aug 19, 2009 9:35 pm EDT

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    What kind of game is this? I mean WTF is the point? Play nobodies? Yeah thats how you win NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS. But the question is will the gators score 100?
  9. jpgenter
    9. Posted by jpgenter Wed Aug 19, 2009 10:06 pm EDT

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    Like J4F said , schedules are picked years in advance and every team in the nation has a cupcake or two on their list.
    What some people fail to understand is the
    Gators more than make up for a cupcake
    game by playing in the SEC which is the
    toughest conference in the country and has more National Championships than
    any other conference in recent years.
    Unlike FSU who plays pretty much all
    cupcakes in the ACC.
  10. John K
    10. Posted by John K Wed Aug 19, 2009 11:48 pm EDT

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    I love the argument of "Well, schedules are picked years in advance"... like Charleston Southern will miraculously field a team any time this century that won't get destroyed.
    If you want respect, at least play a Div 1 school that has the semblance of a possibility of providing *some* type of challenge. This is exactly why strength of schedule should be factored in the rankings with non-Div 1 games getting a negative value.
  11. ScottE
    11. Posted by ScottE Wed Aug 19, 2009 11:51 pm EDT

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    What a waste of time and space.
    The BCS arguement is right on. We shouldnt have a playoff cause the season would lose value. This game proves it.
    Florida shouldn't get a W in the winners column for this game.
    Its a joke any top 25 program playing a small program.
    Why not USC? oh, the perfect SEC prefers not to play USC. I wonder why?
  12. Meredith
    12. Posted by Meredith Thu Aug 20, 2009 12:07 am EDT

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    all cupcakes in the acc??? the acc had a winning record against the sec in 2008
  13. uf1fsucks
    13. Posted by uf1fsucks Thu Aug 20, 2009 1:58 am EDT

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    You people are hilarious...the SEC is the best and you know it...when the BIG GAMES come around they just win. Pick on Florida all you want....haters...what a joke you are...Bottom line is Florida would beat anyone they put in front of them when it counts. I can't wait to see how much you hate Florida after they win it all again!!!!
  14. STRANGLE HOLD
    14. Posted by STRANGLE HOLD Thu Aug 20, 2009 7:05 am EDT

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    uf1fsucks they couldnt beat ole miss douche bag!
  15. Mighty Gator
    15. Posted by Mighty Gator Thu Aug 20, 2009 9:03 am EDT

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    Hey snot nose, I feel your pain. You have a whole season to watch the Mighty Gators destroy each and every opponent on their way to Pasadena. It must feel terrible to know you will have to suffer for the next 5 months in total agony. You haters make me laugh. All I can say is, the Gators first game will be more entertaining (on a comical level) than the annual UM vs FSU battle of mediocrity.
  16. Steven
    16. Posted by Steven Thu Aug 20, 2009 9:58 am EDT

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    You could be right about U.T.'s quarterbacks...but Crompton for instance, showed some promise his soph. season filling in for Ainge. He started the LSU game and but for a bad call on an obvious Perileaux fumble late in the 4th qtr., U.T. would have won that game. There should be allot of improvement at Q.B., whether it's enough to impact the season at say (8-4)...remains to be seen.
  17. Joshua
    17. Posted by Joshua Thu Aug 20, 2009 10:53 am EDT

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    We won 3 championships in a row. That's dominance for ya!
  18. The Outlaw
    18. Posted by The Outlaw Thu Aug 20, 2009 10:57 am EDT

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    Personally....because of the way Meyer WILL put in the third or fourth string by the middle of the 3rd, I'd be willing to take CSC +63 and lay another nickel on the O/U being under....just me though.
  19. The Outlaw
    19. Posted by The Outlaw Thu Aug 20, 2009 11:08 am EDT

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    As a side note....in the last three years UF has only beaten their Division I-AA oppenents by an average of 53 points....not once scoring more than 62...actually the SAFE bet here would be CSC +63
  20. ROBERT G
    20. Posted by ROBERT G Thu Aug 20, 2009 11:09 am EDT

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    1. the gators will cover the 73 point spread easily,but very few will be watching or care, something like the usc/san jose state opener.
    2, congratulations to charleston southern on the big payday just for showing up at the swamp.
    3. the gators will p[robaly win it all again.
    4. unlike usc, the gators have a great coach and great athletes and the gators do not cheat.
    5. urban meyer does not consider pete carroll or usc to be an honest football program.
    6. therefore, if usc wants to play the gators and get beaten, usc will have to make it to the bcs national championship game, something which is highly unlikely given the fact that usc craps out to some double digit undedog every season.
  21. The Outlaw
    21. Posted by The Outlaw Thu Aug 20, 2009 11:10 am EDT

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    Excuse me, they scored 70 on the Citadel last year....Citadel however did score 19
  22. The Outlaw
    22. Posted by The Outlaw Thu Aug 20, 2009 11:10 am EDT

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    Excuse me, they scored 70 on the Citadel last year....Citadel however did score 19
  23. keith m
    23. Posted by keith m Thu Aug 20, 2009 11:24 am EDT

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    Wow, i like the fact that Washington won two games last year and someone has the nerve to put USC in the conversation and USC has to play Washington.......dont tell me, the schedules were made years in advance too and thats your case.......well USC won that game 69-0 and you have the nerve to sit here and talk about stregnth of schedule.........Pete Carroll must be your professor also!
  24. bonescat
    24. Posted by bonescat Thu Aug 20, 2009 1:36 pm EDT

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    If the gators beat charleston southern by more than 73, then the coaching staff at Florida has no class. I can understand running up the points on a hated rival. The players at Charleston Southern are playing because they love football and are lacking in great athletic talent. They do not deserve to be embarassed just because their administration served them to Florida. I hope Florida handles the game with class.

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