Demeanor debate: Tide serious, Longhorns giddy

NCAA Football Betting Lines

01/06/2010 -

NEWPORT BEACH, Calif. (AP) -Alabama coach Nick Saban showed up to media day for the BCS championship game wearing a cream-colored suit and a tie with diagonal stripes. Texas coach Mack Brown appeared in a burnt-orange, short-sleeved polo shirt with a big ol' Longhorn logo on it.

Saban got up and left when the horn went off indicating his 60 minutes were done. Brown lingered, spinning a few more stories, shaking a few more hands.

Crimson Tide players talked about being on a business trip. Longhorns players went around interviewing each other and goofing off while taking pictures with the BCS trophy.

Over back-to-back sessions in the same ballroom Tuesday, the difference in demeanor between No. 1 Alabama and No. 2 Texas was easy to spot.

Whether it will mean anything Thursday night is hard to say, especially considering both coaches have won national titles in recent years.

But it's clear that any breakdown of this matchup needs to include serious vs. giddy alongside things like SEC vs. Big 12 and smashmouth offense vs. spread offense.

``I think Coach Brown said it best: 'We need to come in here and have fun and do what we've been doing all year. Don't make it any bigger than it is,''' Longhorns quarterback Colt McCoy said. ``That's kind of my mentality and our team's mentality.

``When we're out there focused and having fun, that's when we're playing to the best of our ability,'' McCoy continued. ``That's exactly what we need to do headed into this game, because we are focused, we are prepared.''

Maybe the Longhorns can relax because McCoy and nine other players have been here before.

While none played in the 2006 Rose Bowl that determined the national championship, they were all watching from the sideline as Vince Young wiped out a late deficit to pull off an upset of No. 1 Southern Cal.

Young persuaded Brown to loosen up throughout that '05 season. Considering how things turned out, it makes sense that he's stuck with a carpe diem approach.

So, actually, his casual approach is just another day at the office. He's handling things in California the same way he does in Austin, all in hopes that players approach the biggest game of their lives as if it's just No. 14 on their schedule.

``Coach Brown just wants to make sure that everybody knows that we don't have to do anything other than what we've been doing every week,'' wide receiver Jordan Shipley said. ``Just go out and play football.''

Then again, the same can be said for Alabama.

Saban is all-business and proud of it, treating the media session as nothing more than the 8 a.m. to 9 a.m. slot on his agenda.

``At this point, it's almost like getting on a flight,'' he said. ``It takes a long time to board and check your bags and all that kind of stuff, but now we're ready to take off. You've got to go through your checklist and make sure you get it right and do it right and get ready to go out there and play your best game of the year.''

Several times this week, Saban has talked to his team about the 1980 U.S. Olympic hockey team, the ``Miracle on Ice'' squad.

Considering the Tide is favored, his message could be to avoid the fate of the Soviet Union team that was upset. Instead, it's been about coming together like that group of unheralded Americans at Lake Placid.

``He's been talking about that movie and that team a lot this week to make sure that we're staying focused on this goal of what we need to do,'' linebacker Cory Reamer said, ``and not straying too far away from it with all the distractions that we have around us.''

But is Saban having any fun?

``I think he's enjoying his work,'' Reamer said. ``I think he's enjoying the process and the fact that we're here playing for this big of a game. He's enjoying preparing and getting the team ready for it. I'm sure he'll have a lot of fun afterward when we win.''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.

Wwwnine NCAA Football Betting News

<< Willis's move from Auburn leads him to title shot
NEWPORT BEACH, Calif. (AP) -As a player, James Willis spent several November afternoons wearing Auburn orange and blue and tackling Alabama running backs in the Iron Bowl. Then he coached Auburn defenders aiming to do the same.Now, the former All-So

<< Blues hit road under new coach
ST. LOUIS (AP) -The St. Louis Blues' abysmal home record got coach Andy Murray fired last week. Now they hit the road, where they've played very well, for three straight under interim coach Davis Payne.The Blues have been a confounding team. They're

<< WR/KR Harvin is top offensive rookie
NEW YORK (AP) -Percy Harvin has used his versatility and intelligence to win The Associated Press 2009 NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year award.The Minnesota Vikings wide receiver/kick returner has run away with the balloting the same way he outran de

<< Bengals need to fix offense fast
CINCINNATI (AP) -Laveranues Coles had what amounted to a big game against his former New York Jets teammates. He actually caught a pass from Carson Palmer.No other Bengals receiver did as much.The Bengals (10-6) are headed into the playoffs with the

<< Houston's Cushing is AP top defensive rookie
HOUSTON (AP) -Brian Cushing stood up in his third grade classroom and proclaimed that when he grew up, he'd be the best player to ever play in the NFL.He's not there yet, but on Tuesday he took a step in reaching that goal when the Houston Texans li

Will government intervene in BCS mess? >>
Now we're getting somewhere.For nearly two decades, railing against the Bowl Championship Series was like tilting at windmills. The guys who hijacked college football's postseason in 1992 had no reason to budge. They had TV contracts, sponsors aplen

Roddick, Blake move into QFs in Brisbane >>
Brisbane, Australia (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Americans Andy Roddick, James Blake and Wayne Odesnik advanced to the quarterfinals at the season-opening Brisbane International tennis tournament, an Australian Open tune-up. The top-seeded Roddick upe

Henin, Hantuchova reach Brisbane quarters >>
Brisbane, Australia (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Belgian great Justine Henin and fourth seed Daniela Hantuchova of Slovakia moved into the quarterfinals at the Brisbane International tennis event. The wild card Henin cruised past K

Undermanned Vols entertain 49ers in non-league tussle >>
Knoxville, TN (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Steeped in controversy, the 16th-ranked Tennessee Volunteers play host to the Charlotte 49ers tonight in non- conference action from Thompson-Boling Arena in Knoxville. Four players on the Tennessee team have

Villanova hosts DePaul in Big East fray >>
Villanova, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The sixth-ranked Villanova Wildcats are set to take on the struggling DePaul Blue Demons in a Big East Conference affair this evening. DePaul has lost its last three games to fall to an even 7-7 overall, incl

COLLEGE FOOTBALL BETTING

NCAA Football Betting

Many fans thought it was the best side in the nation by the end of last season. This year, the polls have built on Georgia's momentum and granted it the No. 1 preseason ranking, followed by Ohio State and USC. (The Associated Press has the Buckeyes at No. 2; USA Today took the Trojans.)

"To have people believing we have one of the best teams in the nation going into this thing, it's exciting for us," Bulldogs coach Mark Richt told the AP. "I don't think anything is guaranteed, but we certainly have put ourselves in position where at least the college football world thinks we're pretty good."

Georgia Bulldogs - 9.5 wins

There's no question they're good, but the Bulldogs have one of the toughest 12-game schedules in the nation, mostly because they play in the powerhouse Southeastern Conference. Away games at No. 15 Arizona State, No. 7 LSU and No. 10 Auburn loom large, with contests between the hedges versus No. 24 Alabama and No. 18 Tennessee as well as the World's Largest Cocktail Party in Jacksonville versus No.5 Florida.

Ohio State Buckeyes - 10 wins

Like the Bulldogs, the Buckeyes also have a number of tough road contests in 2008. After two scrimmages dressed up as real games versus Youngstown State and Ohio, it's off to face USC. Other tough away games include No.13 Wisconsin in October and No. 20 Illinois in November. Granted, it should be pretty easy sledding at the Horseshoe. In fact, the only ranked team that travels to Columbus is No. 22 Penn State, in October.

USC Trojans - 10.5 wins

A similarly light schedule awaits the Trojans of Southern California, which is why the oddsmakers' total is one win more and the over is currently commanding -150 odds. Pete Carroll's troops only play three ranked teams in 2008, and all of those games are at home. After what should be an easy trip to Virginia to start things off on Aug. 30, the Trojans get two weeks to prepare for Ohio State in Los Angeles. Their two other ranked opponents, No. 21 Oregon and No. 15 Arizona State, visit in consecutive weeks to start the month of October. After that, the competition eases up. Of course, this is the same highly-touted school that lost to Stanford in 2007 and Oregon State in 2006. And don't discount the fact that USC plays its biggest rivals, Notre Dame and UCLA, back-to-back to close out the regular season. On paper, the Trojans are far superior, but motivation will be high for the Irish and Bruins, especially if their historic foes are in national-title contention.

Odds to Win the Heisman Trophy

Tim Tebow, Florida - 7/2
He won it last year, so it's no surprise he's the favorite to do it again, making him just the second player to go back-to-back. Ohio State's Archie Griffin turned the trick in 1974 and 1975, and Tebow's coach, Urban Meyer, is pretty sure his star quarterback can match the Buckeyes legend.

"There has never been anyone quite like him," Meyer told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. "I am very lucky to be his coach."

Chris Wells, Ohio State - 5/1

The man they call "Beanie" was a star recruit out of high school, so it's not like nobody knew who the star tailback was before he rushed for 576 yards as a freshman in 2006 and 1,609 as a sophomore. But perhaps his finest moment came last year versus Michigan when he rumbled for 222 yards and two touchdowns in the Buckeyes' 14-3 victory over the hated Wolverines.

Knowshon Moreno, Georgia - 8/1

If the Bulldogs are to live up to expectations, they'll need a huge effort from their sophomore running back. This might be the last year of college ball for Moreno, who rushed for 1,334 yards and for 14 touchdowns as a freshman, while adding 253 receiving yards on 20 receptions, so expect big things for the man from Belford, N.J.

Stay with us here as we take you through the best in NFL action on a consistent basis, with advice columns as well as handicapping selections. If you're looking for college football betting, that's in our NCAA section, which you can reach by clicking here. And if you're looking for a different kind of football, such as the Canadian Football League, which we'll deal with occasionally, or the Arena Football League, which we really like, you can find it in our Miscellaneous section by clicking

Note: Monday night game will be picked Monday. Lines used are from football betting lines .
To visit this sportsbook got to MySportsbook.com for all your football betting needs. Mysportsbook.com online sports betting