Pad Lock Nails Point Spreads, Bails Out Uncle Gil, Prompts Return
Despite going AWOL following a winless weekend three days earlier, our boy Gil Lock of Ryno Rife Sports 
Handicappers still managed to be the impetus for a positive contribution to the family effort. His nephew, Pad Lock, stepped in for his missing uncle and came up just a field goal shy of a perfect weekend. He won easily with Cincinnati over hapless Syracuse and used his special version of mathematics, “Arifemetic”, to predict that the Western Kentucky-North Texas matchup would go over by 50 points. If only New Mexico State had managed a three pointer in its 45-0 shellacking at the hands of Ohio State, Pad would be greeting his returning uncle with a spotless record. Much like his Aunt Jill, however, Pad has been asked to stay on and continue his streak. If only the same could be said for Gil.
It’s been a tough year for Mr. Lock, whose 7-10-1 record is dragging down the otherwise stellar performance of his family, Jill turned in another 2-1 week; putting her mark at an incredible 13-5. Asked where he disappeared to last week, Gil was vague. “I was ashamed of myself. It was my second winless week. I’ll give it another shot this week but my confidence is waning.” Touching, Gil. Now put down the violin and pick some winners.
Point Spreads: Week 10
Jill’s Locks of The Week
Ohio State Buckeyes +4 over Penn State
- This pick has to do more with cleanliness than anything else. Gil took me to Penn State for a game once and it smelled like cow chips all weekend. Besides, that really old guy that coaches Penn State will probably make everyone wear white again. I mean, really. White after Labor Day? The Buckeyes win by ten.
Boise State -20 over Louisiana Tech
I know it seems like I’m picking Boise every week but, hey, they’ve been good to me. If they’re going to a BCS bowl they have to win big so I’m staying with them. And their coach is such a cutie.
Texas A&M – 4 1/2 over Colorado
Can’t believe the lines are so small over Colorado. Not only do they stink, but the football gods have to still be mad at the head coach for benching his own son. Meanie. Last week Missouri was laying just 4 and beat Colorado by 19. Go with the Aggies.
Pad Locks
Pittsburgh -19 over Syracuse
- Two years ago, uncle Gil took me to the Garden to see Pitt vs. Duke. Pitt’s LeVance Fields blew up Duke’s Greg Paulus so completely that Coach K took him out of the game. I remember telling Gil that the beating could only have been more embarrassing if Fields had been allowed to hit him. Well, that’s gonna happen on Saturday when Pitt makes Paulus wish he was still wearing sneakers. Pitt huge.
Fresno – 6 1/2 over Idaho
- If there’s a team in the country comfortable playing on the road, it’s Fresno, who travels every year to play real competition. Besides, how could I not pick against Idaho after their poor showing vs. Nevada sent my uncle over the wall? Fresno by two touchdowns.
Troy-Western Kentucky over 67 1/2
- Yeah, that’s right. Over 67 1/2. Western Kentucky couldn’t stop an offense if they played with fourteen guys. Last week they gave up 68 points to a North Texas team that was 1-6 coming in. Troy might go over by themselves.
Gil Locks
Virginia Tech – 12 1/2 over East Carolina
(Tonight)- Hate picking against ECU because so many hot girls have gone there but Va. Tech really needs the game. Their athletes are way better, I love Tyrod Taylor and think that they’ll get a score on special teams. I also like that the game is tonight because I need to get back on the horse.
Utah -27 over New Mexico-
The forgotten BCS buster, Utah has lost just once since 2007. They still have TCU on their schedule and slim hopes for a BCS bid if Boise slips so they have to run it up on poor New Mexico.
Connecticut-Cincinnati under 52
- UConn has had trouble scoring against good teams all year and that should continue vs. the Bearcats. Cincy’s offense is not the same without QB Tony Pike so I don’t expect an explosion from them, either. I’m thinking along the lines of a 31-10 Cincinnati blowout.
Season Record- 22-16-1
By Eddie Mayrose
Talk about redemption! Just one week after failing to fire with three dead-piece picks, 
our hero, Gil Lock, came storming back with a 3-0 weekend to even his record for the season. He was so focused this week, so on point with his analysis, that none of his games were close. Rutgers, a 3 point favorite, crushed Maryland while both of Gil’s dogs, TCU and Virginia Tech, won their games outright. Knowing how Mr. Lock had been reeling, I called him early Sunday morning to offer my congratulations.
“Thanks, a lot” was his surprisingly timid reply to my compliments. “It really wasn’t that big a deal.” I was confused for a second until his lovely bride, Jill, picked up the extension and straightened things out. “Of course it was no big deal”, she told me. “No big deal for him. I was the one who made those picks!” ” Do you think it was easy walking around town last week as the wife of the guy who went ohfer? I was embarrassed to show my face.”
Stunned, I asked Jill how she managed to achieve perfection. “There’s this guy who hangs around downtown. Sports nut. Big fan of the Sacramento Maple Leafs, I think. Anyway, he’s always walking around in these crazy throwback sports jerseys and telling people he loves them. ‘Jill, I love ya.’ ‘Pujols, I love ya.’ ‘Cutler I love ya.’” ” He even yells it to our dog.” ‘Neckbolts, I love ya.’ So, I just asked him to take a look at the point spreads and when he screamed, ‘I love ya’, I wrote that team down.”
Clearly humiliated, Gil got back on the line and confirmed the whole story. “Things just haven’t been the same. Now she watches football on Saturday and sends me for coffee. I’m so distracted, I can’t even get the order right. It’s gonna be a long season.”
So, we’ll stick with Jill while she’s hot, (actually, she’s always hot but that’s another story), and we’ll make a decision on when Gil gets his starting job back later in the year. Who knows? Maybe we’ll have an open competition. But, for now, we’ll follow the early muscle.
This week’s Point Spreads
Nevada -3 1/2 over UNLV
- Nevada finaly gets its hands on a cupcake after tough, non-conference games against Notre Dame and Missouri. Its vaunted offense, led by QB Colin Kaepernick, will finally get a chance to show its stuff. I like the Wolfpack big.
Mississippi State +6 1/2 over Georgia Tech-
State comes off a heartbreaker in Baton Rouge and must battle a letdown vs. the Yellowjackets. It’s more a preference of conference here, as the SEC is clearly better than the ACC. Take the Bulldogs at home.
South Florida -6 1/2 over Syracuse-
Never like laying points on the road with a team coming off of a huge win but can’t resist here as Syracuse is so bad. Greg Paulus has shown less as a quarterback than he did as a point guard; no small task. Frosh QB B.J. Walters will give the Bulls an easy conference win. I also like South Florida because Gil likes Syracuse.
Season Record: 6-6
That was certainly a stinker of a weekend thrown at us by Gil Lock as he proceeded to
go a pathetic 0-3 with his selections. He started out well enough, as Army took a noon kickoff from Ball State and marched down the field on its opening drive for a 7-0 lead. However, Ball State answered with a TD of its own and things went south from there for our good Mr. Lock. Army won the game 24-17 but failed to cover the 7 1/2 point spread. Baylor, matched up with one of Gil’s least favorite teams; Connecticut, turned everything around as the Bears lost by ten as a ten point favorite. Memo to Gil: Maybe UConn isn’t so bad. Finally, the Toledo Rockets failed to fire in their battle with Ohio State. The Buckeyes dominated to the tune of 38-0 and made a mockery of Mr. Lock’s affinity for the Mid America Conference. Maybe they’ll send their Men’s football team to Columbus next time. So, if you’re scoring at home, or worse; with your bookie, old Gil came up one short of the famous “blind squirrel.” It’ll take a lot of work to restore our faith and get back in our good graces but Lock assures me he’s up to the task. Let’s see who he’s chosen to lead him out of the darkness and into the light. Go ahead, Gil. Let out the leash.
TCU + 3 over Clemson
When BYU got knocked off by Florida State it cleared the way for TCU to rise out of the Mountain West and claim a BCS Bowl bid. The # 12 Horned Frogs know it’ll take an undefeated season to get there so they’ll be ready for Clemson in Death Valley. Take the points.
Rutgers – 3 over Maryland
In the BCS food chain, the ACC and Big East clearly find themselves at the bottom. (Although, I think they’re both better than the Big Ten.) The two conferences butt heads in this matchup with Rutgers looking to make a post season statement. I’m not a huge fan of the Sacrlet Knights but they’re Opening Day loss to Cincinnati doesn’t look so bad anymore and Maryland lost at home last week to Middle Tennessee.
Virginia Tech + 2 over Miami
While the Hurricanes have made a huge impression with wins over ranked teams in their first two games, the Hokies haven’t exactly been playing the Little Sisters of the Poor. They hung with #4 Alabama into the 4th QTR and knocked off # 21 Nebraska last week. I think Va. Tech is the better team, they’re at home and everyone likes Miami.
CollegeSportsView’s good friend, Mr. Gil Lock of Ryno Rife Sports. Gil is somewhat of a guru in the world of sports handicapping, searching out point spreads that are incorrectly valued and schools with large numbers of returning players that are “good big guys”. He keeps things simple, has a good knowledge of the game and likes to avoid long walks. He’ll let out the leash from time to time on a high risk/reward play but, for the most part, he finds the best method for success is to put the early muscle on your best picks and go from there with the house money.
Thursday
N.C. State – 5 over South Carolina. A revenge game for the Wolfpack after a 34-0 beating at the hands of the Gamecocks to open 2008. I love Russell Wilson’s athleticism at quarterback and the fact that State has a stud returning at FS, (Javon Walker), who could have a field day against South Carolina, who led the nation in INT’s thrown last year. The ‘Cocks have an inexperienced QB playing behind an equally green O Line and the game is in Raleigh.
Saturday
Virginia Tech +6 1/2 over Alabama. I love Tech’s QB Tyrod Taylor, who won’t be splitting the position anymore, and I don’t like that “Bama’s QB, Glen McElroy, is a new starter. In early season matchups between top teams, the defenses are usually ahead of the offenses; making the game come down to special teams. The Hokies have had the best specials in the nation since Frank Beamer showed up and will use “Beamer Ball” to keep it close.
Oklahoma State -5 1/2 over Georgia- Oklahoma State is just too strong, with QB Zac Robinson and WR Dez Bryant among the best offensive players in the nation. Georgia must replace two top NFL picks in Matt Stafford and Knowshon Moreno and travel to Stillwater. I might actually like the ‘Dawgs if this matchup was later in the season but I think it’s a little too much for them to handle in Week 1.
