Columnist Jeff Haney: Handicapper likes Buckeyes, Ducks as ‘dogs

Wednesday, Dec. 26, 2001 | 10:37 a.m.

Jeff Haney's sports betting column appears Wednesday. Reach him at 259-4041 or haney@lasvegassun.com

Handicapper Wayne Root of Las Vegas-based Global Sports & Entertainment is releasing all of his college bowl game picks for this season in the Sun.

In the second part of a series that began last Wednesday, here are Root's selections for the remainder of the bowl season (only those games on which Root has an opinion are included):

Seattle Bowl, Thursday: Root says take Georgia Tech plus 4 1/2 over Stanford. Root calls the Cardinal "one of the five best teams in the land," and says the team's disappointment in being in a minor bowl in "dreary" Seattle will show.

Galleryfurniture.com Bowl, Friday: Root likes TCU plus 6 1/2 over Texas A & M. "I love intrastate bowl matchups," Root says. "TCU will be eager to upset their cross-state, high profile rivals. The Aggies get all the pub, but TCU is a real blue-collar scrapper."

Holiday Bowl, Friday: Take Texas minus 12 1/2 over Washington. "Remember these two words: Major Applewhite," Root says. "Put Applewhite at QB from start of season and Texas is playing next week for the national championship."

Alamo Bowl, Saturday: Take Texas Tech minus 1 over Iowa. "Tech is the best team no one in America knows anything about," Root says. "And (Kliff) Kingsbury is the best QB in the NCAA that no one ever heard of. They'll hear about him after this game."

Humanitarian Bowl, Dec. 31: Take Louisiana Tech plus 6 1/2 over Clemson. "The Tigers have lost 10 of their last 12 as a favorite -- these guys have burned more Southern money than General Grant," Root says. "Woody (Dantzler of Clemson) is the most over-hyped, overrated QB of our generation."

Silicon Valley Bowl, Dec. 31: Take Michigan State plus 5 1/2 over Fresno State. "Fresno is a serious live dog against any big-conference opponent. But playing the role of favorite is a whole different story," Root says. "Take smashmouth Michigan State to ram it down Fresno's throat and eat up the clock, thereby keeping (Fresno QB David) Carr off the field."

Liberty Bowl, Dec. 31: Take BYU plus 3 over Louisville. "I love the role -- not the team," Root says of BYU. "They've had six weeks to think about that humiliating 72-45 loss to Hawaii. ... Live dog."

Cotton Bowl, Jan. 1: Take Arkansas plus 13 1/2 over Oklahoma. "Arkansas needs to shine for bragging rights and a recruiting edge," Root says. "Oklhoma thinks they're better than this also-ran bowl. And you get double-digit points. Take the motivated underdog."

Outback Bowl, Jan. 1: Take Ohio State plus 2 1/2 points over South Carolina. "Here's a case of serious revenge," Root says. "The same Gamecock team humiliated the same Buckeyes in the same bowl a year ago. But Ohio State has a better coach now in Jim Tressel. He knows his goals -- beat Michigan and win bowls. He's already accomplished the beat Michigan part."

Gator Bowl, Jan. 1: Take Virginia Tech minus 2 over Florida State. "This is not a great edition of the vaunted Seminoles," Root says. "And again, they're not happy to be here, whereas the Hokies are thrilled to be in a New Year's Day bowl. ... The boys from Blacksburg have more to prove."

Sugar Bowl, Jan. 1: Take LSU minus 3 over Illinois. "LSU is the home team in the Superdome -- the crowd will be the 12th man for the Tigers," Root says.

Fiesta Bowl, Jan. 1: Take Oregon plus 2 1/2 over Colorado. "I believe this may be the true national championship game," Root says. "The Buffs are arguably the hottest team in the country and (Gary) Barnett is definitely the best coach in America -- that's what I hate about them! Once you're that hot, that high-profile, that known -- you get a fat head and lose. That's how underrated teams quickly become overrated. ... The Ducks in an outright upset."

In early January, we will revisit Root's bowl picks in the Sun and determine how he fared against the point spread. His website can be accessed at esportsedge.com.

In the finale at 9 p.m. Friday, Osborne will meet Mike Orkin, creator of "The Optimizer" software programs, in the Stardust race and sports book.