SEC championship game

[TARB]

William Hill has posted a line on the game, with Georgia versus Alabama. Bets will be refunded if there is a different matchup.

Alabama
Georgia 3.5

I think that the closing line will drop to 3 points. I Like Georgia, but I have one concern that will probably make me pass on betting the game. There is a big financial incentive for the SEC to get two teams into the college championship playoffs. That means that the referees could call the penalties in the game in favor of Alabama. Nothing blatant, just a critical call that makes the difference in which team wins the game. Do you think that my concern is valid? Please respond.

[JIMMYJAM4508]

Apparrantly Georgia has the best defense Ever- One thing, they simply always find a way to loose to Alabama.....Tarb I do think your concern is Valid, With all that money at stake i wouldnt put it past them.....

[TARB]

Thanks for your input, JimmyJam4508.

Anybody else want to respond?

[mtheller]

As a former High School/JUCO official, to put an official in that moment is tough. When you are on that field, everything is happening so quickly in front of you, it is almost impossible for any good person to purposely make a bad call. Every move you make as an official becomes repititous. Your natual instincts of making the right call kick in and it is almost as if you would have to make a delayed call in order to make the wrong one.

As for the SEC Championship, the refs in this game are supposed to be the crew that got graded the highest throughout the season. To put it on a ref to make a call to influence the outcome of the game would be slim.

[Coachv29]

The QB play at Georgia would worry me in that game. Can either one of them make the necessary big throws needed at the time they are needed? Personally, I hope so because there should be enough one loss/undefeated teams to prevent a two loss Alabama to get in.

[Mrvolo]

In order for that to happen somebody from SEC has to tell a official to go easy on Alabama.Would you want to be that person?On the other hand if nobody tells me and I am a Official and I make a few calls to help Alabama maybe the SEC will remember going forward and I become head of SEC Officials.I go for second conclusion but hope I am wrong.
I also feel game is legit as mtheller stated.

[TARB]

The best odds on Alabama to win the college championship is +325. That corresponds to about 23.5%. What does Alabama have to do to accomplish the task? Alabama has to beat in order Arkansas, Auburn, Georgia, most likely Ohio State and Georgia again.
0.95 x 0.85 x 0.4 x 0.6 x 0.5 = .0969 = 9.69% That 9.69% is generous. It is probably closer to 8.5%.
So, anybody betting Alabama to win the college championship is most likely throwing their money down the drain.

[Mrvolo]

Will put this here.Georgia plays Alabama in SEC championship and Georgia wins by a few points and I think Alabama with 2 loses makes CFP.
Hope this happens and we will get a 6 or 8 team playoff.Any comments.

[Buckeyefan80]

No 2 loss team should be in it unless there are no other viable options. I can see them wanting to expand it moreso if bama loses and is a 2 loss #5 than if they were to get in as a 2 loss team. Anything they can do to get bama in there they will try.

[TARB]

I want Alabama to be eliminated from the playoffs by Georgia. I also want an eight game championship series. I do not want a six nor a twelve team series because they would include byes and every team should need an equal number of wins to be crowned the champion. Eight is the right number of teams. Cincinnati would make an eight team series this year and I doubt that the Bearcats do so this season.

[DaveTuley]

I think TARB's suspicion is valid, either blatant or subtle. Again, maybe Alabama wins fair and square and SEC gets both teams in playoff anyway.

It always amazes when teams pull upsets to knock teams in their own conference out of playoff (like Pac-12 teams are trying to knock Oregon out of race) and then celebrate like they've when the playoff themselves, yet they're really costing this own school (and schools in the rest of the conference) millions of dollars by not having a representative in the playoff). The same things happens during conference tournaments where it's really in the best interest of all the conference's teams to have a NCAA tourney lock lose to a bubble team to ensure more teams get in the big dance. I'm actually surprised that it doesn't happen more than it does, but I always have my suspicions when it does happen.

Going off tangent...this reminds me of something I say about casino gambling. Now, with the way gaming is regulated and no casino wanting to risk losing it licence, I really don't believe anyone rigs roulette wheels anymore...BUT, if one were to be rigged, it would make sense that the house would want 0 and/or 00 to come up more often because they're house edge would increase by raking up all the red/black, even/odd, high/low, upper/middle/lower third bets in addition to all plays on numbers besides 0 and 00. So, whenever I play roulette, I always play 0/00 just in case LMEAO.

Same thing in sports betting...we don't believe games are fixed, but IF they are, you would rather be on the side of the potential fix, so I saw Alabama +3.5 is the only play here

[DaveyShines]

Don't know how you could rig a roulette wheel with all that random bouncing but once saw 00 come up 5x in a row!! Is that 37 or 38 to the power of 5 to 1??

[TARB]

i think tarb's suspicion is valid, either blatant or subtle. Again, maybe alabama wins fair and square and sec gets both teams in playoff anyway.

It always amazes when teams pull upsets to knock teams in their own conference out of playoff (like pac-12 teams are trying to knock oregon out of race) and then celebrate like they've when the playoff themselves, yet they're really costing this own school (and schools in the rest of the conference) millions of dollars by not having a representative in the playoff). The same things happens during conference tournaments where it's really in the best interest of all the conference's teams to have a ncaa tourney lock lose to a bubble team to ensure more teams get in the big dance. I'm actually surprised that it doesn't happen more than it does, but i always have my suspicions when it does happen.

Going off tangent...this reminds me of something i say about casino gambling. Now, with the way gaming is regulated and no casino wanting to risk losing it licence, i really don't believe anyone rigs roulette wheels anymore...but, if one were to be rigged, it would make sense that the house would want 0 and/or 00 to come up more often because they're house edge would increase by raking up all the red/black, even/odd, high/low, upper/middle/lower third bets in addition to all plays on numbers besides 0 and 00. So, whenever i play roulette, i always play 0/00 just in case lmeao.

Same thing in sports betting...we don't believe games are fixed, but if they are, you would rather be on the side of the potential fix, so i saw alabama +3.5 is the only play here

Alabama is available right now at William Hill.

[TARB]

OK, Dave, you talked me into putting 1-unit on the SEC championship game:

Alabama +3.5

[DaveTuley]

OK, Dave, you talked me into putting 1-unit on the SEC championship game:

Alabama +3.5

I talked myself into taking it, too LMEAO

GL 2 US