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Sports books capitalize on the uniquely visceral lightening that flashes through a man's veins, boosting his laughably fragile ego with the most conspicuous of all male proclamations: I'm right / I win. [Its slightly less famous corollary, you're wrong / you lose, though satisfying, particularly when combined with pointing, laughing, and mockery - for example, when Michigan lost to Appalachian State - provides a different joy which falls just short.] Even better, gambling combines "I'm right" with "I win", creating an intoxicating gratification cocktail. It's delicious.
Good news, friends - the bar's now open. Vegas book 5 Dimes posted over/under win totals for most of...whatever the big boy football division calls itself now that there's a playoff. Below we've sorted the Big Ten squads into a handy table:
| Skool | Wins |
|---|---|
| Ohio State | 11 |
| Wisconsin | 10 |
| Michigan State | 9.5 |
| Nebraska | 8 |
| Michigan | 7.5 |
| Northwestern | 6.5 |
| Indiana | 6 |
| Minnesota | 5.5 |
| Rutgers | 5 |
| Maryland | 4.5 |
| Purdue | 4 |
| Illinois | 3.5 |
| Penn State | Off |
| Iowa | Off |
What's the first thing you notice? 5 Dimes didn't put a line on Penn State. Shameful. But here's Penn State's 2015 schedule of opponents, with each opponent's 2014 SRS*. Let's set our own line.
| Date | Opponent | 2014 SRS |
|---|---|---|
| 9/5/2015 | vs. Temple (Philly) | -2.23 |
| 9/12/2015 | vs. Buffalo | -9.34 |
| 9/19/2015 | vs. BTPR | 3.19 |
| 9/26/2015 | vs. San Diego St | -2.1 |
| 10/3/2015 | vs. Army | -12.95 |
| 10/10/2015 | vs. Indiana | -5.32 |
| 10/17/2015 | at Ohio State | 20.44 |
| 10/24/2015 | vs. Maryland (Balto) | 1.58 |
| 10/31/2015 | vs. Illinois | -2.53 |
| 11/7/2015 | at jNW | 0.8 |
| 11/21/2015 | vs. Michigan | 1.82 |
| 11/28/2015 | at Sparty | 16.07 |
*SRS stands for "Simple Rating System", and is a collage of pseudo-math with figures presented in hundredths to give the appearance of precision and legitimacy. A bigger number is good. 2014 Penn State's SRS was 2.46.
You're reading that schedule correctly, friends. Penn State plays 7 home games, just 3 road games, and 2 "neutral site" games (lol - they're in Philly and Bal'mer). Our Lions have faced tougher tests.