Buster Sports

You think Southern California will win the 2009 Pac-10 football championship (and who doesn’t)? If you’re a bettor, get ready to pay a stiff price.

According to Touthouse.com, the Trojans are one of two BCS schools at minus odds to win their conference, meaning you have to bet more than you can actually win. USC is minus-225, which equates to winning $100 for every $225 you bet.

Before you say, well, that’s a ripoff, consider this: can any other team actually win the Pac-10 and unseat the seven-time conference champion Trojans? If not, USC’s odds are a hair better than 2-to-5, which dwarf the 1-to-10 payoff Secretariat received for winning the Belmont Stakes.

Doesn’t USC remind you of the dominant Big Red at times?

However, there’s a popular theory going around that if you’re going to get the Trojans, the 2009 Pac 10 season is it. I don’t happen to buy it; despite some inexperience on defense, USC has more talent than any team in the league, and Pete Carroll doesn’t seem to have much interest in rebuilding.

But for argument’s sake, let’s assume the door is open just a crack. You’re salivating at the prospect of making a killing? But who?

According to Touthouse, here are the current odds to win the Pac 10:

California or Oregon, anyone? Not me, not at those odds. If we’re dreaming that USC can be beaten, and we’re this far out, might as well swing for the fences.

No, no, no. Not Washington or Washington State. Not at 100-1, not at 1000-1, not at 10,000-1. No chance at any price.

But UCLA, Stanford and Arizona State make a little bit of sense.

UCLA has its issues at quarterback, but the Bruins are getting back some players that could have helped in 2008 this season. Their defense might be one of the Pac 10’s best. At 30-1 odds, the Bruins might be worth a small swing.

Arizona State? The Sun Devils have talent. It’s just a matter of that talent growing up. They also have a manageable schedule. If Danny Sullivan can manage the offense, and key players mature, at 75-1 a ticket might be worth clutching in late October.

Stanford? What the Cardinal have is a running game in Toby Gerhart, and defense that ought to be decent. Andrew Luck might be the uber quarterback many think he is. And you know Stanford isn’t scared of USC. The Cardinal isn’t the wildest of stabs at 65-1.

Heisman Trophy odds: Five Pac 10 running backs are taking action for the Heisman. With quarterbacks Tim Tebow of Florida, Sam Bradford of Oklahoma and Colt McCoy of Texas returning, odds are heavily in favor of one of those players winning the award.

But they are quarterbacks, and can get knocked out. And even if they make every game, none are as electric as California tailback Jahvid Best, who is 10-1. You can also wager on USC’s Joe McKnight at 28-1, Oregon State’s Jacquizz Rodgers at 33-1, Oregon’s LeGarrette Blount at 40-1 and Gerhart at a fat 90-1.

If you’ve got 10 or 20 bucks burning a hole in your pocket, I’d take a flyer on Blount. The Ducks are going to run the ball, they’re going to be good, and Blount will be the man. If Blount runs for 1,800 yards and Oregon goes 11-1, he has a shot at the hardware.

Nick Daschel covers the Pacific-10 Conference for Buster Sports, and can be reached at ndaschel@bustersports.com

Arizona State, California, Football, Headline, Pac-10, Tim Tebow, Sam Bradford, Colt McCoy, Jacquizz Rodgers, Jahvid Best, Danny Sullivan, LeGarrette Blount, Toby Gerhart, Feature