Broadsword calling Danny Boy: Miami at Boston College (+9 and the hook), Flood Tip redux; Colvin on State College -- Carolina | Eastern North Carolina Now

Now, a man to lead it, Karl.

Crash-landed, 1940, glider assault, Belgium.

Dropped into Crete, '41.
Wounded at Maleme, Knight's Cross.

Led volunteer assault group of 300, special action, Leningrad.

Stalingrad -- Knight's Cross
with Oak Leaves and Swords.

January this year, dropped into Kiev,
with 167 surviving in unit,

to get two cut-off regiments out of Russia.

Find this man for me, Karl.
He's been out of Germany too long.
*****
What do you think our chances are?

The E-boat is off the coast, Hans.

Churchill is on schedule.
Anything is possible. - Jack Higgins


Becton Commandos storm the beaches of Myrtle, 1980: Above.     Click image to enlarge.
    Until 1975 a Hail Mary in football usually involved pre-game prayer at Notre Dame or Holy Cross; it was not part of the gridiron lexicon until Roger Staubach and Dallas stunned Minnesota that year with a miracle 50 yard playoff bomb in the closing seconds to win 17-14. After the game Staubach remarked he threw the ball deep, closed his eyes, and said a Hail Mary. Thus the descriptor was born for a desperation heave toward the end zone as the clock approaches quad zeroes.


    Doug Flutie had a remarkable professional football career, to include playing quarterback for Donald Trump (New Jersey Generals) and executing the last successful NFL drop kick (New Year's Day 2006, Patriots). However, the BC Heisman Trophy winner is immortalised in pigskin lore for his day after Thanksgiving game-winning Orange Bowl bomb to Gerard Phelan, versus Miami on national TV, as legendary announcer Brent Musburger made the call for CBS.

    In that pre-saturation era where few games were televised, Musburger's call took on epic proportions, and that one moment propelled Flutie on to glory and a career in three professional football leagues. Our calls here were less than legendary as Iowa State dropped the ball for all but the early birds (Congrats to Farnell and his plus eleven). Happily, Iowa stayed on script with defence and the kicking game to edge Illinois, as the split moves us to 11-5 and up 17.45 units in this space.

    The Thanksgiving Week card means an expanded handicapping target zone as peeps prepare to tackle The Man in space; meanwhile his price algos shift this week toward line-trapping functionality. We want to realise the rivalry games infused this week with an added pricing factor as we sift the silt for gold. With Farnell beginning the transition to pro playoffs and March Madness, we know the rare opportunity to have Colvin himself share insight. We need winners, Man, so do your thing from King Saul Boulevard.

    (Meanwhile Farnell advising the March Madness posse has added two more: Texas (+700) and Illinois (+1300) have joined Arizona (+650) and Kansas State (+1200) to make the Final Four. The young Oil Man has postulated 7-8 teams may be too many and that may be correct; we wonder if the fact we have four possible targets instead of one makes a difference.)

    (Farnell also recommending MAHOMES UNDER 2.5 Passing TDs (-230) in tonight's game for those reading this Monday. He postulates the weather may be a bit worse tonight than expected in Kansas City and with such conditions this is a short price. He likes this move as a parlay boost for the weekend games as well as with ALABAMA (+160) versus Georgia next week in the SEC title game. That contest opened Georgia (-5) and, barring injuries this weekend, is unlikely to go higher. If you like the Tide this is probably your best price point the distance.)

    "This week marks the 39th anniversary of Flutie's miracle in Miami and that sure to be mentioned dozens of times this week around a Boston College squad that has bounced back from a terrible 2022 campaign to become bowl eligible this season. They meet a Miami Hurricane eleven at Chestnut Hill stumbling through a nightmare season since the Georgia Tech debacle terminated an unbeaten start. On paper the Hurricanes with a big advantage everywhere, on the field every intangible breaks for the BC Eagles."


    "Seldom do we want to be on the wrong end of the run-stopping equation but that dynamic exists here. We don't see Miami having the discipline or field position to make this a run heavy game their way, and feel BC QB Castellanos can make a difference on a sloppy field with his legs versus the Miami set. We also love a home underdog in weather with a surface change -- it is a classic scenario to catch nine and the hook."

    "There is also a question of motivation. Both teams are bowl eligible which begs the question: Can Miami get excited about a holiday travel game where winning or losing merely means the difference between Shreveport or the Barbecue Bowl in mid-December? Meanwhile it is Senior Day at Alumni Stadium in scenic Chestnut Hill; we think the Eagles will land a winner."

    "The State-Carolina game saw an early bird price of UNC (-3) but after the Clemson loss opened (-2). On paper this price seems all wrong. NC State has rolled since dismantling Clemson and is on an upward trajectory while Carolina slipping now as opposing defences learn the Maye Shuffle. Every single element points to this game as a false favourite; the Wolfpack should be (-3)."

    "We know Carolina will throw a halfback/flanker pass at some point and probably fake a punt as Mack pulls out all the stops. The weakness for State, of course, is at QB which is why the price is as it is. However the real Wolfpack QB is Payton Wilson and when he is dancing in the end zone late, the whole stadium will be shaking. Best to pass on this game but if you take the Wolfpack go for the points instead of the money line, might need the deuce up your sleeve in OT."

    Hail Marys from last century, Monday night passing prop parlays and taking a pass on State College -- Carolina? Say it ain't so, Man. What is going on?

    What is happening is we are going with an average team that can play over their heads when motivated against a better team we think is disinterested. BC gave Florida State their toughest game of the year earlier at home and Miami another southern grass team that can't take the big hits in weather on the rug. Our call here is the force known as BOSTON COLLEGE (+9 and the hook) for three units the day after the American Thanksgiving. Basic physics tells us F=MA (where A measures the delta between V1 and V2); for BC, the Mass end of the equation works a couple ways.

BOSTON COLLEGE    47  •  MIAMI    45

    Like the drop kick, intangibles in college football handicapping have fallen out of favour -- replaced by algo-driven analytics that know the price of everything and the value of nothing; this is America today in a nutshell. However, the intangible a bit like faith in that you can't see it -- you just know it's there and how it works.


    When the chips are down that faith can take ordinary men on remarkable journeys.

    Anything is possible.