The thrill of college football thrives off the unexpected. The surprise teams, upsets, and breakout players compose the perfect package to real excitement. The always present “anything can happen” factor has become a motto for college football. Also, we love to cheer on players who have achieved great things. It’s hard not to applaud achievements by the likes of a Tim Tebow or a Sam Bradford. Each year you know there is going to be another group of athletes to make their mark among the top players in the nation. We give those players their respected spotlight and applaud their performances. On the other side of the story lines, there are just as many disappointment stories with each season of football. Those players who fail to reach the high expectations put forth by fans and the media. Often times these players are just forgotten and fall out of the limelight. However, we are going to change that as we bring some of those disappointment stories center stage. Take a look as we break down the Top 5 biggest letdown players for the 2009 season from the offensive side of the ball.

#5. RB C.J Spiller (Clemson Tigers)

C.J Spiller shared carries during his first 3 years at Clemson with the talented power rushing back of James Davis. However, heading into the 2009 season Spiller was going to be the guy that got the work load which had Tigers fans with a ton of anticipation given Spiller game changing ability. The buzz out of the ACC and Clemson had built up a Heisman Campaign for Spiller in expectations of his big senior season. However, thus far in the season Spiller has yet to prove he has what it takes to be an every down running back. Spiller has made a bunch of big plays this year, but most of those have been from the kick and punt returns. Spiller has produced just 360 yards through 5 games and has failed to reach the century mark in all 3 ACC conference games. Actually most of the early success from the Clemson offense has come from the arm of freshman quarterback Kyle Parker, in result to Spiller’s struggles. The Tigers rushing attack has been just average after being advertised as one of the best the ACC has to offer. More importantly with Spiller receiving all the carries, it has really hurt him in the eyes of the NFL. He has yet to prove he can be an affective every down back and the only true danger he has presented to opposing teams this season has been as a return specialist. Spiller’s lack of productivity has just added to a growing list of disappointments coming out of Clemson in the last few years.

#4. QB Juice Williams (Illinois Illini)

Juice Williams had a breakout senior campaign for the Illini. The Illinois quarterback threw for 3,173 yards and 22 touchdowns in 2008 while rushing for another 719 additional yards. The big year gave many fans the indication that Williams would be an unstoppable force in his senior year. Those expectations had Illinois listed as one of the best offenses in the Big Ten entering 2009 with Williams at quarterback and WR Arrelious Benn. However, the Illini have been anything but explosive this season during their disappointing 1-4 start and the problem has been where they least expected on the offensive side of the ball. Outside of the Illini’s thrashing over an inferior Illinois State team 45-17, the team is 0-4. Williams has been a big disappointment completing just 54% on the season and only 628 yards after 5 games. After throwing for 3,000 plus yards a season ago, the Illini quarterback is on track to throw for less than 1,500 yards. Williams has 4 interceptions on the season to just 2 touchdowns and the Illinois offense has averaged just 10 points per game in their 4 losses on the season. The questionable performance by Williams has even caused the Illini to explore options with quarterback Eddie McGee as they continue to try to find some solutions for an offense that was suppose to be carried by Williams this season.

#3. RB Charles Scott (LSU Tigers)

The LSU Tigers were predicted to be among the top teams in the SEC this season and so far they have lived up to those expectations despite falling short to Florida in a big battle Saturday night. However, the main expectations on offense relied on the certainty of running back Charles Scott. The Tigers struggled offensively in 2008, but Scott was the lone bright spot on the team. Scott carried the offense racking up nearly 1,200 yards on the ground. Entering the season, LSU was expected to be among the best rushing teams in the SEC behind Scott in his senior season along with the help of Keiland Williams. However, the Tigers have failed to run the ball ranking near the very bottom of the SEC. Scott has produced just 276 yards in 6 games. The senior tailback had minimal expectations of reaching the 1,000 yard plateau again and there were many who predicted him to lead the SEC in rushing for 2009. However, Scott is on track to barely break the 500 yard mark. Outside of a big play to beat Georgia, Scott has provided absolutely nothing for the LSU offense to be cheerful about. Also if that does not change down the stretch, there is no way LSU will stay in the hunt for an SEC Championship because you have to be able run the ball in the SEC to contend.

#2.RB LaGarrette Blount (Oregon Ducks)

It did not take long for LaGarrette Blount to become one of the biggest disappointments of the season. Blount was poised to be a big threat to the Ducks rushing offense this season along side QB Jeremiah Masoli. However, in the Ducks opener to Boise State everything went wrong. Not only was Blount shutdown completely getting 8 carries for negative 5 yards, but the Ducks running back would never get a chance to redeem himself. The Ducks offense was embarrassed in their opener on the big stage falling to the Broncos 19-8. However, it was not till after the game till things really got out of hand. After being taunted in the post game celebration, Blount let his emotions get the best of him throwing a punch that landed on Byron Hout of Boise State. Blount then went on a rampage even making move towards fans on the exit ramps which was a completely embarrassing reflection on the Ducks organization. The outrage cost Blount his last year of eligibility considering he was suspended one day later for the rest of the season. Good news for Oregon fans is the Ducks have really come on strong since the shameful opener, but Blount still remains a huge disappointment.

#1. QB Jevan Snead (Mississippi Rebels)

Jevan Snead led the Mississippi Rebels on a scoring rampage to end the 2008 season displaying pinpoint accuracy while proving he had the talent to make all the throws on the field. The late season performance was so strong that it had the media and fans in Oxford raving over their new found superstar at quarterback. Snead was labeled as “the best pure quarterback in the SEC.” The media and college experts predicted great things and another big year from the Rebels quarterback in 2009. Snead’s praises even had him on preseason Heisman ballots and NFL scouts were already making plans to watch games live and get an up close encounter with possibly the next top quarterback to come out of the college ranks. However, things have been quite different in 2009. Not only has the Rebels offense struggled as a whole, but Snead has been anything but a leader behind center.

The Rebels quarterback got off to a mediocre start before SEC play got underway. However in Snead’s first big game of the year with all NFL scouts on hand, the Rebels star had the worse performance of his career going 7 of 21 for just 107 yards in a loss to South Carolina. The lackluster performance was though to just be a fluke, but since Snead has thrown 7 interceptions in the last 2 games including 4 yesterday against Alabama. In the Rebels two losses to quality SEC teams, Snead has thrown 18 for 55 and 247 yards. The Rebels who were once ranked as high as number 4 in the country have fallen outside the Top 25 with an offense that just can not move the ball. It is safe to say that Snead has easily been the biggest letdown of any single player in college football this season as the Rebels have went from an SEC offensive powerhouse a team that is averaging just 6.6 points per game in their first 3 SEC match-ups.

The 2009 College Football Season has been filled with many unexpected outcomes. It seems like just when you think you got a team figured out they disappoint those expectations. Until this past weekend a top 5 team had been beaten every week of the season and there has been many more upsets as well. We have seen highly rank teams drop and new faces emerge in the rankings. However, if anything is clear for the 2009 season it is that the rankings have not had any type of significant importance. Perhaps it is hard to rank teams when there are so many others that are equally talented. Every week new rankings are releases and more questions arise. Do not get caught up with some team’s polls perceptions as rankings can be very misleading especially at this point in the season. California was ranked as high as 6th just two weeks ago and find themselves outside the top 25. Then you look at the Miami Hurricanes who were barely receiving preseason votes to be ranked, and Hurricanes have been ranked as high as 9th this season. Our goal is to breakdown a few teams in the Top 25 to see who exactly are contenders and those that are pretenders.

Pretenders

No. 4 LSU Tigers (4-0)

The LSU Tigers got their biggest win of the season in dramatic fashion last weekend 20-13 over the previously ranked no. 18 Georgia Bulldogs. However, LSU has not been very impressive in their 4-0 start. The Tigers barely escaped an opener at Washington and had to overcome 3 straight defensive stands from the 1 yard line to beat Mississippi State. It seems like LSU keeps finding ways to win. Running back Charles Scott broke open a 33 yard touchdown run with 46 seconds to go to take down the Bulldogs in another exciting finish. However, the Tigers luck is going to run out especially when they take on top ranked Florida this week. LSU has bigger concerns than the Gators as how they will finish the season. The offense ranks 99th overall producing just 321 yards per game. Those offensive numbers have to improve against the SEC defenses which are among the best in the country. The Tigers top 5 ranked Florida and Alabama in the next 4 weeks and also a meeting with no. 17 Auburn in that stretch as well. If they continue under performing, they could easily go 1-3 in their next 4 games.

Oklahoma Sooners (2-2)

Surely, Sooners fans still have beliefs they can still win the Big 12 considering both of their losses were to out of conference teams and sure both of their losses have been to ranked teams. However, they are still in considerable trouble through the remainder of the year. The team has multiple problems and not necessarily referring to Heisman Trophy winner Sam Bradford. Backup QB Landry Jones has thrown the ball well completing 60% with 10 touchdowns. However, the Sooners offense is nowhere near the dominant form they were in 2008. Outside of Ryan Broyles, the young receivers are struggling to make plays. Running backs DeMarco Murray and Chris Brown do not have huge holes as they did last season. With those misfires, the Sooners have scored just 33 points in their two biggest games of the season against Miami and BYU. The Sooners main big offensive games were against inferior teams like Idaho State and Tulsa. They will have to work out a lot of kinks quickly as Baylor, Texas, and Kansas and next up on the schedule.

No. 20 Mississippi Rebels (3-1)

The Rebels received a ton of high expectations entering the season behind coach Houston Nutt and quarterback Jevan Snead. Nutt turned the program around last season capturing 9 wins nearly more than the Rebels have accumulated in the 3 previous seasons. QB Jevan Snead sparked an offense at the end of 2008 that became one of the most feared in the SEC. A lot of attention was drawn to Snead this season as NFL and Heisman talk buzzed around Oxford. Wide receivers Shay Hodge and Dexter McCluster gave even more reason to expect big things on offense. However, the offense has yet to be explosive as they were a season ago averaging just 19 points per game in their first two SEC contest. The Rebels lost the SEC opener to South Carolina after reaching their highest ranking in 40 years at number 4 in the country. However not only has the offense been questionable, but so has quarterback Jevan Snead. Snead has completing just 51% this season while throwing 5 interceptions in 4 games. The letdown behind center has many wondering if the Rebels quarterback may have been high over rated or will he bounce back? The Rebels slow start is not going to get any better if they don’t pick up the pace with their brutal SEC schedule that will face no. 3 Alabama this weekend.

Contenders

No. 23 South Florida Bulls (5-0)

The Bulls lost their senior quarterback and leader in Matt Grothe to a knee injury for the season in their 3rd game of the season. The huge loss appeared to have dampened South Florida’s chances at having a successful season. However, nobody told backup quarterback B.J Daniels. The freshman quarterback has matured quickly throwing for 180 yards per game in 3 starts and rushing for another 263 yards in those 3 games as well. The Bulls have not lost a step beating the likes of Florida State and Syracuse convincingly. The Bulls defense has held opponents to an impressive 9.4 points per game and may be the best defense in the Big East. The Bulls face their biggest game of the season when they host Cincinnati this weekend. If somehow they can capture a win this young team confidence may never come down. However even with a loss, South Florida is still going to be a force in the Big East this season.

No. 17 Auburn Tigers (5-0)

The Auburn Tigers have not received a lot of attention this season, but the media is starting to catch on to the fact that Alabama is not the only team in the state that has a chance at an SEC Championship. The Tigers offensive has exploded averaging over 500 yards per game and ranking 5th overall in the nation. The impressive thing about the offense is they are very balanced. Running backs Ben Tate and Onterio McCalebb have combined for well over 900 yards in just 5 games along with 5 touchdowns. Todd has posted over 1,230 yards in just 5 games with 12 touchdowns and only 1 interception. The balanced threat has also given Auburn the number 5 ranked scoring offense posting 41 points per game. The Tigers just received a top 25 ranking after last week’s win over Tennessee and their offense is going to keep them in the rankings for some time. Auburn is an impressive 4-1 ATS this season as a profitable money maker which could likely continue. The Tigers are going to have a chance to really make some more noise this season as well. Auburn gets manageable meetings with Kentucky and Arkansas next on the schedule which should place them nicely at 7-0 before their trip to LSU. However, there is not a game left on the schedule that they can not win.

No. 13 Oregon Ducks (4-1)

The Oregon Ducks were embarrassed by Boise State in a sloppy opener to the college football season. The 19-8 loss seen by millions critically wounded the Ducks perceptions as most had written off the team for the rest of the year. However, the Ducks have been consistently improving each week since their loss and now they are firing as an explosive offensive team. The Ducks completely crushed California who was at the time ranked 6th 42-3, then backed that up with a blowout over Washington State this past week 52-6. Freshman LaMichael James has played well stepping in for LaGarrette Blount who was suspended for the punch thrown in the opener. James has rushed for 429 yards in 4 games carrying an impressive 6 yards per carry average. Jeremiah Masoli remains a dual threat behind center and is also playing well. The Ducks re-emergence has taken the books by surprise as they are 3-0 ATS in their last 3 games. The Ducks now appear to be on track to contend for Pac-10 Title. Considering how well the defense has played over the last few games along with their improving offense, a championship may not be out of the question.

The 2009 College Football Season kicks off Thursday night with 9 different games that will take the spotlight as college football enthusiast tune in to the opening night of football. South Carolina travels to North Carolina State in the opening premier match-up which will be followed by a battle between top 25 teams No. 16 Oregon at No. 14 Boise State. There will be plenty of action throughout opening night and surely bettors will be eager to get an opportunity to make some quick cash and get things off to a good start to their seasons. Of course, most will be betting on the game totals and over/unders. However, we take a look at some interesting prop bets from BetUS Sportsbook (100% football bonus using this link) & Sportsbook.com (50% football bonus using this link) for the first night of football and break down unique ways to cash in and earn some money while watching these games.

Free Prop Bet Pick #1 – South Carolina Gamecocks at North Carolina State Wolfpack 

Double Result Odds:
South Carolina/South Carolina +250
South Carolina/Tie +2000
South Carolina/North Carolina State +500
Tie/South Carolina +2000
Tie/Tie +8000
Tie/North Carolina State +2000
North Carolina State/South Carolina +600
North Carolina State/Tie +1800
North Carolina State/North Carolina State -200

The “double result” bet is perhaps one of the simplest exciting bets with the opportunity to really make some money. If you are not familiar with this type of bet, you are basically predicting initially the winner of the first half and then the winner of the 2nd half. There are 9 different scenarios that can play out and all of them usually have profitable odds. North Carolina State will enter the game as 4 point favorites due to a strong offense behind the young talented quarterback of Russell Wilson. However, we tend to warn that Wilson and company may not have an easy task of overcoming the South Carolina defense. The Gamecocks secondary ranked 2nd in the country last season holding teams to just 159 yards per game through the air. South Carolina may have lost a large portion of that secondary, but they have a history of producing a strong secondary and have put plenty of cornerbacks in the NFL over the past few years. The Gamecocks defense will also be very solid up front and should get a lot of pressure making it difficult for the Wolfpack offense. The big question will be if the South Carolina offense can deliver. The quarterbacks had plenty of trouble last year throwing more interceptions than any team in college football (27). Stephen Garcia will be the man behind center this year and he has a lot of upside if he can be accurate. Even with 4 interceptions in the first half last year, the Gamecocks routed the Wolfpack in a 34-0 blowout on opening night. The Wolfpack should have no trouble getting on the board this year, but that is not to say they will have tons of success. The Gamecocks defense should get the job done again and it could be similar scenario despite what the media may be predicting.

Free Football Pick – South Carolina/South Carolina

Free Prop Bet Pick #2- Oregon Ducks at Boise State Broncos

Who will score first?
Oregon -105
Boise State -115

This particular game will highlight two very talented offense in what could very well turnout to be a high scoring shootout. The Ducks offense ranked 7th nationally in 2008 gaining 484 yards per contest while the Broncos ranked 18th racking up 440 yards per game. The over/under total is listed at a lofty 64.5 points a game so touchdowns are to be expected. However, who will score first? Well that could be simple if we first knew who would get the ball first? Well that may be a stretch, but both offenses should get the better of the defense. However, we all know how offenses some time take some rhythm before they spark early in the year especially in the opening match-up. Last year, it took Oregon until the end of the season before the offense became alive. Even if they are to come out ready this Thursday night they will play a solid Boise State defense that ranked 20th overall in 2008. The Broncos on the other hand will go against one of the worse pass defenses from 2008. Oregon ranked an extremely disappointing 111th last season against the pass allowing 270 yards per game. Add to the fact that the Broncos have only lost two games on their home field in the last ten years and there is plenty reason to think they will be the first to ignite on offense. Oregon will give them a run for their money, but they will likely make a late charge.

Free Football Pick – Boise State -115

Free Prop Bet Pick #3 – Utah State Aggies at Utah Utes

First Quarter Betting Line:
Utah State +4.5
Utah -4.5

The Utah Utes became college football’s version of a Cinderella story last year after an undefeated season that was captivated by a heroic and convincing victory over Alabama in the Sugar Bowl. Utah will enter opening night as the number 19 team in the nation when they travel to take on inner state foe Utah State. Utah had an impressive offense in 2009, but despite popular perception it was the defense that made the difference. The Utes will return 8 of those starters that contributed to the nations 11 best defensive unit. Utah State on the other hand returns one of the worse defenses in the land. The Aggies barely ranked inside the top 100 allowing 412 yards per game. The Aggies will have a solid quarterback in Diondre Borel, but it may be a difficult task overthrowing the Utes tough defensive front. The Utes should be able to control the Aggies fairly easy and that is a big reason they are 20 point favorites. America’s new favorite team should control this game from start to finish and the defense should keep the team from getting behind even if they are to come out flat. Points should be easy to come by and the Utes will led by two scores at the end of the first quarter.

Free Football Pick – Utah -4.5