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07/14/2010 - Philadelphia, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - They handle all the heavy lifting, do all the dirty work in the trenches and keep the skill position players in the headlines, often times sacrificing their own stardom in the process. It takes a certain mindset to play up front on the offensive line and the following list is the best of the bunch heading into the 2010 campaign.
OFFENSIVE TACKLES
GABE CARIMI, WISCONSIN
This 6-foot-7, 315-pound Badger may be the top NFL-ready lineman in the college ranks. He possesses plenty of size and potential, and has earned some All-American accolades in all three of his seasons with the Badgers. Carimi holds down the left tackle spot on the Big Ten's top offensive team. Wisconsin has its sights set on a conference crown this year and Carimi is just one of the extremely talented players who could end up delivering just that to the Badger faithful in 2010.
ANTHONY CASTONZO, BOSTON COLLEGE
The Eagles just know how to cultivate talent up front and this year will be no different, headlined by the play of this 6-7, 295-pound senior. Castonzo became the first freshman (2007) to start on the BC offensive line in 10 years and has improved ever since, having started all 41 games of his career, including the last two seasons at left tackle. He is proficient in both running and passing situations and always seems be in the right place. BC may not be ready to claim the ACC title this year, but it won't be because Castonzo fails to dominate.
MATT REYNOLDS, BYU
A mountain of a man at the left tackle position and heads into his junior year in Provo with his sights set on First-Team All-American honors. The 6-6, 330- pounder made an immediate impact as a freshman, starting all 13 games at left tackle before being named a Freshman All-American. Once again, he anchored the BYU offensive line as a sophomore in 2009, starting all 13 games while earning All-Mountain West Conference First-Team honors. BYU once again has a shot at the MWC crown in 2010 and Reynolds is the type of player who could give the Cougars the edge when all is said and done.
JARVIS JONES, OKLAHOMA
He will take over as the focal point of the Sooners' offensive line this year and will be charged with protecting talented sophomore QB Landry Jones. The 6-7, 305-pounder is compared favorably to some of Oklahoma's recent standouts and may evolve into one of its most dominating players. Head coach Bob Stoops always seems to raise the level of play up front in Norman and there is no reason to believe that will change in 2010, especially if Jones lives up to his potential. After a down year in 2009, expect OU to again be in the hunt for the Big 12 title.
LEE ZIEMBA, AUBURN
A model of consistency at Auburn since he arrived on campus, he has started every game since his freshman season (All-American honors in 2007), a string of 38 consecutive games entering 2010. The 6-8, 319-pound Tiger was a Second- Team All-SEC selection in 2009, recording 67 knockdown blocks. Ziemba has seen and done it all at Auburn, and although the Tigers will probably again fall short of an SEC crown, Ziemba should receive plenty of postseason accolades when all is said and done.
OTHERS TO KEEP AN EYE ONE: Nate Solder, Colorado, Joseph Barksdale (LSU), Marcus Cannon (TCU), Nate Potter (Boise State), Jason Pinkston (Pittsburgh).
OFFENSIVE GUARDS
RODNEY HUDSON, FLORIDA STATE
Regarded as the top interior lineman in the game and for good reason. Hudson is the anchor for an offensive line that brings back all five starters to Tallahassee in 2010. Hudson could become the first linemen in ACC history to garner all-conference honors in four consecutive seasons. In a season of change at FSU (no Bobby Bowden), expect the offensive line to provide a safety blanket for QB Christian Ponder, as he looks to lead the Seminoles back to ACC glory.
MIKE POUNCEY, FLORIDA
Twin brother of first-round NFL draft pick Maurkice Pouncey, this senior Gator may just join his brother next year as a first-round selection. The 6-4, 310- pounder earned Second-Team All-American honors in 2009, while being named an All-SEC First-Team member. An extremely durable player, Pouncey has started 29 consecutive games. He has the ability to move to the middle and handle the center duties if need be. It is the post-Tebow era at UF and although the team may take a step back from the last few seasons, this is still a program chock-full of blue-chippers. Pouncey is certainly one of them.
JUSTIN BOREN, OHIO STATE
Considered a traitor in some parts of Big Ten country, as he transferred from Michigan to Ohio State, sitting out the 2008 season as a result. The Wolverines' loss has been the Buckeyes' gain, however, as Boren has evolved into one of the better interior linemen in the game. The 6-3, 320-pounder is a "road grader" who plays with a great deal of nastiness. The Buckeyes will remain among the Big Ten elite in 2010, especially if Boren and company can dominate up front.
JOHN MOFFITT, WISCONSIN
Moffitt started six games as a freshman in 2007 and has never looked back, starting 23 games over the last two seasons, including 10 in 2009. Two of those starts came at center. A First-Team All-Big Ten selection in 2009, the 6-5, 323-pounder is poised for a big 2010 and could garner All- American status in the process. Moffitt knows his role within the Wisconsin offense, which has a chance to exceed last year's Big Ten-leading numbers. The Badgers could play for a national title this year, and stellar play up front could be the key.
ORLANDO FRANKLIN, MIAMI-FLORIDA
He was only an All-ACC Honorable Mention selection in 2009, but Franklin could be ready to emerge as one of the ACC's better interior lineman in 2010. He started 11 games at left guard as a junior, moving to left tackle for the season finale. At 6-7, 318 pounds, Franklin certainly has the size to be a factor anywhere on the offensive line. He has plenty of experience, having played in all 12 games as a freshman in 2007. Franklin has steadily improved each year and if the Hurricanes are to make a move in the ACC, his play along the offensive line will definitely be a factor.
OTHERS TO KEEP AN EYE ON: Stephen Good (Oklahoma), Stephen Schilling (Michigan), Andrew Jackson (Fresno State), Zach Hurt (Connecticut), John Bender (Nevada).
CENTERS
STEFAN WISNIEWSKI, PENN STATE
Possesses one of the top pedigrees in the college game, as his father played four seasons in the NFL and uncle Steve was an eight-time Pro-Bowler for the Oakland/Los Angeles Raiders. Stefan has followed in his family's footsteps, carving out his own niche in Happy Valley and is regarded as the top center in the country entering his senior season, garnering All-American accolades each of the last two seasons. The 6-3, 297-pounder moved to the middle prior to his junior year and flourished in his new role. The Nittany Lions will again have a strong running game in 2010 and with Wisniewski spearheading the attack, PSU will make things very interesting in the Big Ten.
KRISTOFER ODOWD, USC
O'Dowd came into the 2009 as the top center in the country, but a dislocated knee cap prior to the season opener derailed his season. He did see action in eight games, was hampered by injuries the entire year and never really got going. A First-Team All-Pac-10 selection in 2008, the 6-5, 300-pounder is poised to regain his form in 2010. The Trojans will not participate in the postseason, but that shouldn't stop O'Dowd from proving to the NFL that he is one of the very best at his position.
MICHAEL BREWSTER, OHIO STATE
Burst on the scene in Columbus as a freshman in 2008 due to an injury suffered by the incumbent starter, earning Freshman All-American honors with 10 starts. The 6-5, 293-pounder continued the maturation process in 2009. The Buckeyes are going to once again vie for the Big Ten title and it all starts up front for OSU. A talented offensive line will be anchored by Brewster, who certainly has a bright future if he continues the course.
BEN JONES, GEORGIA
Another pivot who made an immediate impact, Jones (6-3, 300) started 10 games at the center position as a freshman in 2008, garnering all-conference honors. Jones stepped up his play as a sophomore in 2009 and was tabbed an All-SEC Second-Team member, starting all 13 games for the Bulldogs. A gritty and determined player, Jones is now a veteran presence up front for Georgia, which would like nothing better than to be mentioned among the SEC elite once again.
COLIN BAXTER, ARIZONA
A Second-Team All-Pac-10 selection in 2009, Baxter (6-4, 295) has started 37 games in Tucson, earning all-conference honorable mention honors in 2008 and Freshman All-American honors in 2007. He will anchor Arizona's offensive line in 2010, and although the Wildcats are probably not a top conference contender, expect Baxter to do his part in making Arizona a competitive team week-in and week-out.
OTHERS TO KEEP AN EYE ON: Dan Wegner (Notre Dame), Ryan McMahon (Florida State), Zane Taylor (Utah), Ben Bojicic (Bowling Green), Jake Kirkpatrick (TCU).
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(This is an update of a sportsbook for the May 4th issue of ESPN The Magazine).
The Kentucky Derby's post-position draw happened on Wednesday. And, as is always the case, shortly afterwards, a buzz raced around Churchill Downs. It was a low rumble at first, nothing that the squares in the mint julep crowd pick up right away. But by the time the sun set over the twin spires, the chatter was impossible to ignore. Everyone -- sharps, trainers, owners -- was talking about one thing: the wise guy horse, the pre-draw long shot us mopes didn't have on our radar until it was too late.
"You think you're hearing the scoop," says handicapper Lane Gold. "Then you get to the window, the odds are short, and you missed it."
Recognizing a wise-guy horse early is as hard as picking a Derby bonnet. That's because handicappers don't like hype (see ya, I Want Revenge). They want Thoroughbreds who look good losing prep races like the Santa Anita Derby. They eye horses who ate up the field after starting wide or made an easy transition from synthetic tracks to dirt. They look for ponies who showed muscle gain race to race and those who ran hard after several weeks' rest.
"A wise guy," says John Avello, a bookmaker at Wynn Las Vegas, "looks for a horse who can improve."
When I first wrote Horse Betting for The Mag, which I turned in a three weeks before Wednesday's draw, I predicted these three horses had wise guy potential:
CHOCOLATE CANDY (15-1 in mid-April, currently 20-1 according to Avello): His second-place finish at Santa Anita, following a seven-week layoff, proved two things: He can run after resting, and -- by losing a high-profile prep race -- he wouldn't be overhyped.
DESERT PARTY (15-1; 15-1): He was upset in the UAE Derby by a horse he had beaten twice. The public remembers his loss, but the wise guys his wins.
PIONEEROF THE NILE (8-1; 4-1): The big favorite at Santa Anita struggled to win, so he initially got less hype than Quality Road and I Want Revenge.
You may have noticed that the odds on Pioneerof the Nile have been cut in half, from 8-1 to 4-1. Which means the wise guys took a shine to him long before the post-position draw. But, to be honest, this is one of those years with four elite horses getting everyone's attention, squares and sharps alike.
"You're not gonna get a lot of chatter about a horse that isn't in that group, which includes Pioneer, I Want Revenge, Dunkirk and Friesan Fire," Avello told me Wednesday. "We don't have a group of horses behind those top four who look like real legit contenders."
Come Derby week, the final two elements in picking a wise guy horse are how he's working out and what gate he's coming out of.
(By the way, picking a Preakness favorite is a whole different bale of hay, partially based on how horses finish in the Derby. You can see my analysis of who has the best shot at Pimlico on Insider Sunday morning.)
Well, early in the week I Want Revenge, Pioneerof the Nile and Friesan Fire were working out better than anyone. Some thought Friesan Fire, currently 6-1, might have run too fast, burning a five-furlong run in :57 4/5. "When you are running that fast you have the sense that it took something out of him," says Gold. "The Derby is longer than any horse has run, and if they need that extra surge you worry they won't have it because they burned it in the workout."
But, Gold points out, Friesan Fire's trainer is Larry Jones, Two years ago his horse Hard Spun did a five-eighths workout in :57 3/5 and then went on to finish second, behind Street Sense, in the Derby. "Every trainer has different methods," says Gold. "And clearly he knows what he's doing."
Now, as for starting position, Gold says to remember this: Churchill Downs traditionally has 14 starting gates. For the Derby, it brings out auxiliary gates and between the original 14th gate and the new 15th gate, there is a little more space than there is between gates 1-14. "That 15 position will give you a precious second or two to sort out what's happening to your inside," says Gold. "Sixteen is also okay because you can follow the horse in front of you."
Dunkirk, one of the race favorites, is coming out of gate 15. In 16 is Baffert's Pioneerof the Nile. I Want Revenge drew 13, where Smarty Jones won from in 2004, and Friesan Fire picked the sixth position. "He doesn't have a lot of speed to the inside of him," says Gold. "So he will get a clear shot to be near the front."
All the jibber-jabber means this: Pioneerof the Nile has leapfrogged from 8-1 to being the second favorite, along with Dunkirk, behind I Want Revenge. Meanwhile, Friesan Fire, with a good trainer, a strong week of training and a decent post position, is still at 6-1. "By Saturday, it's possible he could go from fourth to the favorite," says Gold.
In other words, meet Friesan Fire, your 2009 wise guy horse.
"Now," says Avello, "it's time for action."
To visit this horse betting site go to MySportsbook.com for all your horse racing betting needs.
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