The Wiz of Odds

The BCS Title Game Prediction List From Hell

Who is going to win tonight's Bowl Championship Series title game between Auburn and Oregon? For the fourth year in a row, The Wiz presents the Mother of All BCS Title Game Prediction Posts.

A new twist this year. At the end of the post, readers are invited to vote in two polls. The first asks which team will cover the spread. At the time of this post, Auburn is favored by two points. The second asks if the total number of points will go over or under 73.

Each of the distinguished experts listed below has a link to their Twitter page and site. Follow these folks and you'll be on the cutting edge of college football.

Let's see what they have to say:

Let's Get This Party Started!

Auburn and Oregon fans gathered Sunday in the Valley of the Sun for the BCS Fan Experience. Wiz correspondent Greg Laughlin was on hand to catch all the festivities. There are more photos after the jump and you can view Greg's full gallery by clicking here.

Oregon Fan Seeks Auburn Fan for Wedding Bet

Oregon fan Ryan Tharp is seeking an Auburn fan for a most unusual bet on the Bowl Championship Series title game.

Tharp has taken out an ad on Craigslist seeking an Auburn hottie for a short-term Las Vegas marriage. He plans to be in the city next week to celebrate an Oregon victory.

"I'm so confident in the Duck's kickass ability, that I would wager my most prized possession: my first marriage," Tharp writes in the ad.

"That's right. You can be the first woman I walk down the aisle with, my first I Do, and the first woman to be Mrs. Ryan Tharp. However, as always, there is a catch. I am 25-years old, I love life, love to travel, love my Ducks, and am in no way, shape, or form ready for any sort of committed anything. Accordingly, our marriage will need to be annulled the next day. That's where the bet comes in. ... Loser of the bet has to pay the annulment costs."

Tharp has provided links to his Facebook and Twitter pages and says he will be documenting his adventures on Twitter.

Different Interpretations of Cheating?

A lot of people were surprised by the NCAA's decision to reinstate Auburn quarterback Cam Newton without penalty after a pay-for-play scheme involving his father Cecil, but few were as surprised as USC athletic director Pat Haden.

Haden took over a program in August that was handed some of the harshest NCAA sanctions in history after the parents of Reggie Bush were ruled to have accepted extra benefits from agents and would-be sports marketers.

"In the Reggie Bush case, when the parent [did] something inappropriate the kid and the school suffered," Haden told Gary Klein of the Los Angeles Times.

He added: "I was always told the parent is the child. That's what we've been telling our kids. If the parent does something inappropriate the child suffers the consequences."

USC argued that it was unaware of any improprieties involving Bush's parents because they lived near San Diego, but the NCAA still put the hammer down on the Trojans.

Iron Bowl: Bama Tried to Keep Cam Newton in Check

Wiz correspondent Greg Laughlin was in Tuscaloosa for Friday's Auburn-Alabama game and as you can see from the image above, Crimson Tide fans were waiting for Cam Newton and the Tigers. There's more after the jump and you can view Greg's gallery by clicking here.

Nick Fairley, YouTube Sensation

More videos have surfaced of cheap shots delivered by Auburn's Nick Fairley to Georgia quarterback Aaron Murray during Saturday's game at Auburn. The top video shows Fairley using his facemask to cut Murray's chin after a pass in the first quarter.

Take a closer look at the video below to see exactly how Fairley cut Murray. Sneaky stuff. The guy knows all the tricks. Thanks to Sports by Brooks.

Murray also suffered a "pretty deep bruise in his chest" and a bruised left knee, according to Bulldog coach Mark Richt. He is expected to return for the Bulldogs' game against Georgia Tech on Nov. 27.

After the jump is video of Fairley driving Murray into the ground. Georgia players finally retaliated and the teams scuffled near the end of the game. Tiger defensive linemen Mike Blanc and Michael Goggans were ejected after throwing punches and under NCAA rules, they must sit out the first half of Auburn's next game, which happens to be a biggie — at Alabama on Nov. 26. Fairley, meanwhile, goes unpunished.