It’s time for a two-pronged “Handicapper’s Notebook” and so let’s start things off with the college kids and then close things out with the pros:

The 2007 College Football season is now in the rear view mirror – LSU has its second championship (or co-championship/2003 season) in the past five years but the Tigers were no great shakes against the spread (ATS) this year with a sluggish 5-7-2 spread log.

For that matter, the team that LSU whipped 38-24 in the BCS Championship Game – The Ohio State Buckeyes – was only a modest winner versus the vig this ’07 season with a 7-5 ATS mark and so that begs the following question:

What College Football teams were big-time money-makers?

Here’s the cream of the crop with their pointspread winning percentages listed below.

KANSAS (.917)
Hats off the best college team against the Las Vegas prices as the KU Jayhawks snapped up an 11-1 ATS record this year that included a 5-1 spread log against fellow bowl teams plus that exciting 24-21 Orange Bowl win against three-point wagering favorite Virginia Tech.

No doubt that Kansas head coach Mark Mangino’s club went “cha-ching” almost every week this year but how about the fact this Big 12 team covered its first 10 on-the-board games before finally stumbling versus Missouri in late November.

Rock, Chalk, Jayhawk!

MISSOURI (.769)
Speaking of Mizzou, these Tigers went a sizzling 10-3 against the Las Vegas prices this ’07 season and that included a sparkling 8-2 spread mark as betting favorites.

The Columbia-based kids started off the ’07 campaign on a six-game spread winning streak and then capped things with that 38-7 Cotton Bowl route over 3 ½-point underdog Arkansas on New Year’s Day. In all, Missouri went 6-1 spreadwise away this year with the lone pointspread away loss coming in that Big 12 Championship setback against Oklahoma.

AIR FORCE (.750)
The Falcons had not even turned a profit between the 2003 through 2006 seasons but this year the Fly Boys really pepped it up with a 9-3 ATS mark that featured a seven-game spread winning streak prior to that Armed Forces Bowl loss to California.

Anyone that backed this service academy while in the favorite’s role went 5-and-oh against the odds and note the Falcons covered three games against bowl-bound clubs (see Utah, TCU and New Mexico).

TROY (.727)
This Sun Belt Conference club didn’t get an invitation to the post-season bowls this year after getting stunned by Florida Atlantic in the regular-season finale but Troy did cash plenty of wagers while going 8-3 against the odds and that included covers against SEC powers Georgia and Arkansas.

The Trojans also went 5-2 spreadwise in games where they were the chalk side but once they played anyone from the Sunshine State it was an utter disaster: Note that the three spread setbacks came against Florida, Florida International and aforementioned Florida Atlantic.

SAN JOSE STATE (.700)
Now here’s a real under-the-radar team when it comes to pointspread prowess as the Spartans compiled a 7-3-1 ATS log and note Dick Tomey’s club covered seven of its final eight spread verdicts after a rather slow start (0-2-1 ATS out of the starting gate).

The Western Athletic Conference crew covered all four of its home tilts including a 42-35 overtime loss to 16 ½-point fav Hawaii and it’s duly noted that San Jose State notched spread wins in six of its seven conference games with the lone spread “L” coming against Boise State in a 42-7 road loss back on Nov. 3rd.

OREGON (.692)
Maybe the latter portion of the ’07 season didn’t quite go as the Ducks had planned but Mike Bellotti’s crew still cashed plenty this year with a glittery 9-4 ATS log that included a pair of four-game spread winning streaks. 

No doubt that the resounding 56-21 triumph over 6 1/2-point favorite South Florida in the Sun Bowl on New Year’s Eve was a real highlight for the Eugene gang and take note that Oregon has suffered only one sub-.500 spread season in the past decade (see 5-7 mark in 2002).

UCLA (.692)
Here’s another Pac-10 team that finished the year with a 9-4 spread mark but note it’s the only team on this “Handicapper’s Notebook” list that axed its head coach.

One-time boss-man Karl Dorrell led the Bruins to an 8-4 spread log that included covers against six different bowl teams (including USC) and then interim coach DeWayne Walker was in charge for that 17-16 loss-but-cover versus six-point favorite BYU in the Las Vegas Bowl. 

WAKE FOREST (.692)
There was no BCS bowl for the WF Demon Deacons this year but there were lots of pointspread “W’s” once again.
 
Jim Grobe’s team went a nifty 9-4 versus the vig in ’07 with the marquee spread wins coming against Florida State, Navy and Connecticut (the latter was a 24-10 win as two-point favorites in the Meineke Car Care Bowl). Wake Forest ended the season on a three-game spread winning streak and note the Deacs enjoyed a four-game winning streak versus the vig between Oct. 11th right through Nov. 3rd and among the opponents during that stretch was Florida State, Navy, North Carolina and Virginia … not bad.

Stay tuned, as StatFox and Sportsform get you ready for the 2008 season over the next 7 months! Don't worry, it will be here before you know it.