The Associated Press recently completed a review of ACC athletic program spending and came up with the predictable conclusion that, typically, the more money you spend, the more success you have.

Boston College, Clemson and Virginia Tech – the three schools that spent the most on their football programs - have been to six ACC championships since 2005, the year the league took its current shape.

It kind of reminds me of how a buddy accurately describes what it’s like to visit Las Vegas: The amount of fun you have is directly proportional to the amount of money you spend.

It’s true.

Sports betting is a little bit the same. You can tinker and toy all year long with your regular units and you win some and you lose some. No big deal. You probably enjoy games a little more and you haven’t lost enough to be too upset about it. You haven’t won enough to do a whole lot with it either.

But the games that really get your blood flowing, that tiny handful of opportunities you wait and yearn  for all year long – the ones you lay a chunk of dough on that will either crush your soul or make you scream with joy – are the true ones that give you the most out of your gambling habit, healthy or otherwise.

For me, this TCU-Utah game is one of those games. I think it’s nuts that Utah is getting points here, let alone 4.5 or 5.

Sharp bettors Rockefellered the line and inflated it to as high as 6.5 at some books early in the week.  Then it got hammered back down. It doesn’t really matter much though. Utah is going to win straight up.

Why? Cause they’re better.  And they’re at home.

I like their quarterback(s) better.  I like their offense better. I like their special teams better. And even though they don’t get the stats that TCU does, I like their defense better. Lots of speed and nastiness, all the things I like in a defense. 

So it’s official, Utah is winning. They’ll get a trip to a BCS bowl game and I kinda hope they play Boise State because that would be a sweet matchup.

Before following me to the edge of the cliff, keep in mind I went 0-4 last week. I’m now 19-16-1 on the season.

Pick: Utah +5

Alabama vs. LSU (+6.5, 44)

This is going to be so devastating for LSU. Two losses in two weeks to the Alabama schools.  Ouch.

Their mediocre playcalling and unimaginative offense doesn’t stand a chance against Saban coming off a bye.

Pick: Bama -6.5

Air Force vs. Army (+6.5, 49)

Army is turning into the next Oregon. The Black Knights debut some wicked new gray unis Saturday with black helmets, making it their fifth different ensemble of the season. So fashionable.

I guess the old adage holds true that if you look good, you feel good because this squad is turning things around. The Knights need one more win to become bowl eligible after many seasons of suck.

Air Force needs one more win for bowl time too, but I don’t think they’ll get it here. They’ve gone through a gauntlet of games against San Diego State, TCU and Utah and now they face another tough run defense in Army.

Army is allowing just 117 yards on the ground per game this season and is scoring 30 points per game.