# Any takers? 70.5 point spread **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [September 6, 2012, 7:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-takers-70-5-point-spread/633896 "2012-09-06T19:34:37Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![DCnDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dcndc/32/2842_2.png) [@DCnDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DCnDC)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2012, 7:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-takers-70-5-point-spread/633896/1 "2012-09-06T19:34:37Z")
According to CBS Sports, this weekend Savannah State will be [the biggest underdog in history](http://www.cbssports.com/collegefootball/blog/eye-on-college-football/20078028/savannah-state-is-the-biggest-underdog-in-college-football-history) vs. Florida State, a week after losing to Oklahoma State 84-0 (35-0 after 1 quarter). The Seminoles are favored by 70.5 points. Currently Oklahoma State is AP #18, Florida State is #6. The 'Noles defeated the mighty Murray State Racers 69-3 last week. Think the Savannah State Tigers will cover? ---
**Author:** ![Freddy\_the\_Pig](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/a587f6/32.png) [@Freddy\_the\_Pig](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freddy_the_Pig)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2012, 7:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-takers-70-5-point-spread/633896/2 "2012-09-06T19:58:58Z")
Hmm, that’s a tough one. A lot depends on how bad a badass the opposing coach wants to be, and I don’t know much about Jimbo Fisher. I guess my gut reaction is to take the points. If Savannah blunders into even one touchdown against the third string, then FSU has to score more than 77 which is tough to do unless the coach is consciously jacking it up. ---
**Author:** ![JSexton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/96bed5/32.png) [@JSexton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JSexton)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2012, 8:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-takers-70-5-point-spread/633896/3 "2012-09-06T20:00:21Z")
It seems hard to believe that teams will continue playing their starters and playing hard when they are up by 50+. Were I the coach, I’d be wanting to avoid injury more than I want to keep running up the score. ---
**Author:** ![DCnDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dcndc/32/2842_2.png) [@DCnDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DCnDC)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2012, 8:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-takers-70-5-point-spread/633896/4 "2012-09-06T20:11:50Z")
I didn’t see the game, but looking at the [box score](http://scores.espn.go.com/ncf/boxscore?gameId=322450197), Oklahoma State seems to have maintained a fairly balanced attack, with 3 QBs combined passing 26/37 for 287 yds and 3 TD, and 7 players rushing 395 yds with 9 TDs on 42 carries. The 1st 7 touchdowns were on the ground, including 2 long 20+ yard runs (40, 24). There was a 42 yard rushing TD later in the game. So it looks like Oklahoma State’s third and fourth team were still kicking the shit out of Savannah State right up to the end. I’d have to imagine the talent level of Florida State is at least as good if not better. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2012, 8:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-takers-70-5-point-spread/633896/5 "2012-09-06T20:14:14Z")
Don’t know. Odds makers are pretty good at this. There’s usually a huge point spread when a powerhouse faces a tiny school, but it doesn’t look like those are good bets on the spread to me. But I don’t pay that much attention to college ball, I have a pretty small sample of observations to work from. ---
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2012, 8:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-takers-70-5-point-spread/633896/6 "2012-09-06T20:15:24Z")
Sounds like a good game to watch with some drinking buddies. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2012, 8:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-takers-70-5-point-spread/633896/7 "2012-09-06T20:27:22Z")
I once saw a game where my Villanova Wildcats were up, I think it was 63-0, at halftime. At which point the game got called due to rain. And we weren’t even all that great a team. Extrapolating, I think it’s quite plausible that one team might beat another by over 70 points. ---
**Author:** ![Snarky\_Kong](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a183cd/32.png) [@Snarky\_Kong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snarky_Kong)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2012, 8:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-takers-70-5-point-spread/633896/8 "2012-09-06T20:41:49Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > I once saw a game where my Villanova Wildcats were up, I think it was 63-0, at halftime. At which point the game got called due to rain. And we weren’t even all that great a team. Extrapolating, I think it’s quite plausible that one team might beat another by over 70 points. 70 point wins probably happen at least every other year. The OP also pointed out that it already happened this year, to the team that’re the 70 point dogs. Whether or not those games occur isn’t in dispute, it’s whether or not you think this will be one of them. The record for largest win is like 220, btw. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2012, 8:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-takers-70-5-point-spread/633896/9 "2012-09-06T20:46:36Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > I once saw a game where my Villanova Wildcats were up, I think it was 63-0, at halftime. At which point the game got called due to rain. And we weren’t even all that great a team. Extrapolating, I think it’s quite plausible that one team might beat another by over 70 points. Are you a Wildcat (Villanova alum)? I’ve noticed you have some knowledge of the areas food. ---
**Author:** ![Tom\_Scud](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f08c70/32.png) [@Tom\_Scud](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tom_Scud)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2012, 8:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-takers-70-5-point-spread/633896/10 "2012-09-06T20:48:25Z")
> [@Snarky\_Kong](#): > > 70 point wins probably happen at least every other year. The OP also pointed out that it already happened this year, to the team that’re the 70 point dogs. Whether or not those games occur isn’t in dispute, it’s whether or not you think this will be one of them. > > The record for largest win is like 220, btw. 222-0, not a pass thrown by the winning team. [Wikipedia article](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1916_Cumberland_vs._Georgia_Tech_football_game) on the 1916 Cumberland-Georgia Tech game. ---
**Author:** ![septimus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/septimus/32/410_2.png) [@septimus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/septimus)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2012, 9:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-takers-70-5-point-spread/633896/11 "2012-09-06T21:18:56Z")
I’ve always wondered: Do coaches or players (or fans) feel a large desire to beat the spread? ---
**Author:** ![markdash](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba8739/32.png) [@markdash](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/markdash)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2012, 9:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-takers-70-5-point-spread/633896/12 "2012-09-06T21:42:58Z")
I’m a sucker for huge underdogs, so I would probably put $20 on that game if I were in a betting-legal area. “Hey, we’re only down 35-0 at the half, we’re on pace!” ---
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2012, 9:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-takers-70-5-point-spread/633896/13 "2012-09-06T21:49:26Z")
Think of the sadness and grief when FSU only wins by 69! How many vehicles wil change hands over that? ---
**Author:** ![mhendo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mhendo/32/3159_2.png) [@mhendo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mhendo)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2012, 9:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-takers-70-5-point-spread/633896/14 "2012-09-06T21:54:23Z")
The fact that a matchup this skewed is even possible is some sort of bad joke. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2012, 10:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-takers-70-5-point-spread/633896/15 "2012-09-06T22:31:39Z")
> [@](#): > > Are you a Wildcat (Villanova alum)? I’ve noticed you have some knowledge of the areas food. Yeah, got my BS there. And I was in the band, so went to all of the home games. ---
**Author:** ![Mince](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ecd19e/32.png) [@Mince](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mince)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2012, 11:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-takers-70-5-point-spread/633896/16 "2012-09-06T23:40:57Z")
I’m surprised anyone is even handicapping this game. Usually sports books avoid these “dominant 1A vs weak non-1A” matches. ---
**Author:** ![Jas09](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/d07c76/32.png) [@Jas09](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jas09)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2012, 11:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-takers-70-5-point-spread/633896/17 "2012-09-06T23:54:47Z")
My general rule of thumb is to always take the ten touchdowns. But that’s just me. ---
**Author:** ![Mince](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ecd19e/32.png) [@Mince](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mince)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2012, 12:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-takers-70-5-point-spread/633896/18 "2012-09-07T00:12:06Z")
> [@Tom\_Scud](#): > > 222-0, not a pass thrown by the winning team. [Wikipedia article](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1916_Cumberland_vs._Georgia_Tech_football_game) on the 1916 Cumberland-Georgia Tech game. Yeah, my grandfather had Cumberland +221.5 in that game. ---
**Author:** ![Typo\_Negative](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/typo_negative/32/484_2.png) [@Typo\_Negative](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Typo_Negative)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2012, 12:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-takers-70-5-point-spread/633896/19 "2012-09-07T00:32:26Z")
Is it me, or does anyone think maybe Savannah State shouldn’t be in Div 1 football? ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2012, 1:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-takers-70-5-point-spread/633896/20 "2012-09-07T01:03:44Z")
I would absolutely take the under on this one. In fact, where can I bet legally? [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-takers-70-5-point-spread/633896.md?page=2)