When I first saw the line on this game, SEMO -47 1/2, I almost choked. SEMO couldn't score 48 on anyone in the country let alone lay it. To tell you the truth I didn't have a clue who Missouri Baptist was but I was all ready to fire down on them in this one. Then I started doing a little checking up on them. Not only are they an NAIA school but this is their FIRST YEAR having a football program. They have 98 players listed on their roster. Of those 98, 61 are freshmen and 22 are sophmore's. So much for backing them. Does SEMO have anything going for them. After winning the OVC in 2010 they have went 3-8, 3-8, and 3-9. At the end of last year the players just flat out didn't care anymore. They weren't having fun. Football had become a job to them. Then we had a coaching change in the off season. SEMO hired Tom Matukewicz as their new head coach. He came to SEMO from Toledo where he was defensive coordinator and linebackers coach for the 2012 and 2013 seasons. Before that he was on coach Jerry Kill's staff during the rebuilding of programs at SIU and N. Illinois. I must say he has done EVERYTHING right since his arrival at SEMO. The players love him and once again are really having fun playing the game. While it will take a couple of years for him to get the program up to where he wants it to be they do have several good play makers now. For me the bottom line for this game is that these players have been beat down the last three years and they are just looking for someone to take it out on. This is the perfect game for that. The line is up to -49 now and I'm just going to throw a small bet on SEMO to come out breathing fire in this one and turn it into a track meet.
1* #516 SEMO -49 -120