College Football Picks - Minnesota at Syracuse: College Football Picks Saturday (Sept. 5) offers a smorgasboard of great games to choose from but one of the most interesting kicks off at noon ET between Minnesota and Syracuse at the Carrier Dome in Syracuse, NY. If there is any one person whom Syracuse coach Doug Marrone can look to for inspiraton it's Golden Gophers coach Tim Brewster. And if there is any coach in college football Marrone can relate to it's Brewster. In his first year as coach at Minnesota in 2007, an undermanned Golden Gophers squad went 1-11. Then in 2008, Brewster led the team to a huge 7-6 turnaround capped by an Insight Bowl invitation.

Minnesota is expected to build on last years achievements based on the fact they return 18 starters (10 offense, 8 defense), the most of any Big Ten team. The Gophers went undefeated (4-0) in non-conference play in 2008. It was the first time Minnesota won all its regular-season non-conference games since 2005, when the Gophers went 3-0. Minnesota's six-game turnaround in 2008 was the best in program history and the best in the nation.

Sportsbetting.com has installed Minnesota as a 7-chalk road favoriteversus Syracuse with a 47 total.

Marrone is tasked with bringing Syracuse back to college football respectability. After four forgettable seasons under the direction of former head coach Greg Robinson, Orange fans know the program can only go in one direction and that is up.

The new face of the formerlly anemic Syracuse offense is Greg Paulus, the former Duke University point guard who transferred to Syracuse as a graduate student and won the starting quarterback job. Paulus has good credentials as a quarterback earned locally at Christian Brothers Academy where he was selected as national Gatorade Player of the Year.

For Syracuse to win the game they must avoid all the pitfalls, fumbles, interceptions, penalties, miscommunication, that doom teams especially while learning a new system under a new coach with a new quarterback.

The Orange should get better in 2009 but it will take the whole season to do so. The Gophers should win this game and cover as a 7-chalk road favorite. Gamblers looking for a good total bet should be safe playing the UNDER 47.