College Football Picks: North Texas vs. Ball State: Ball State, a team that set all kinds of Mid-America Conference (MAC) records after going 12-2 in 2008, opens its new season Thursday night when it welcomes the North Texas Mean Green out of the Sun Belt Conference to Muncie, Ind., for a 7:30 pm ET ESPNU-HD televised game.

Oddsmakers at BetUS.com list the Cardinals as 16-chalk favorites ATS and -800 moneyline over UNT with a 58 total. Mean Green backers are getting  +600 odds as a moneyline underdog.

One casualty to success is people leave your program for greener pastures and Ball State was not exempt from success pains of 2008. Before the Cardinals could play their bowl game, coach Brady Hoke left for San Diego State. Then immediately following the season, quarterback Nate Davis left the Cardinals for the NFL Draft. In spite of the departures, Ball State still has plenty returning that should make the school a force in the MAC in 2009.

Assistant coach Stan Parrish was elevated to the head job and Kelly Page steps into the starting quarterback roll. The Cardinals welcome back All-MAC running back MiQuale Lewis who ran for 1,736 yards in 2008.

UNT only has one direction to go in 2009 and that is up. Last year was a disaster as the team went 1-11 and 0-7 in the Sun Belt. Their only win came against Western Kentucky a team making the transition from FCS to FBS. In his two years as head coach, Todd Dodge has only won three games while losing 21.

UNT will be led by redshirt-freshman quarterback Riley Dodge at quarterback. The Mean Green also look to be solid in the backfield with the return of running back Cam Montgomery who rushed for 928 yards last year.

College Football Picks: Ball State should win Thursday's game but covering the 16-chalk might be too much to ask. UNT will be improved in Dodge's third year.