Vegas Play of the Day: Big Ten Championship Game

By Case Keefer (contact)

Saturday, Dec. 3, 2016 | 2 a.m.

We’re entering the third season of the annual South Point-lined Play of the Day competition, effective July 1.

Starting bankrolls have reset to $10,000, with the maximum bet being to win $1,000 and the minimum wager $300. Ray Brewer won the 2015-2016 season, after Taylor Bern prevailed in 2014-2015. Bern stepped away in the middle of the 2016-2017 season with a 16-12 record and $13,317 bankroll, with Mike Grimala taking his place.

Penn State plus-3 vs. Wisconsin: $330 to win $300

The tendency is to compare championship game matchups to past ones in the same conference. But this year’s Big Ten Championship Game keeps bringing me back to a recent one from a different conference.

Penn State vs. Wisconsin reminds me of Auburn vs. Missouri in 2013 for the SEC Championship. Bear with me for a second.

Like Missouri back then, Wisconsin is the statistically better team and has the shutdown defense. The Badgers have blown out the teams they’re supposed to blow out, and otherwise played all close games.

But, more reminiscent of Auburn, Penn State is red hot. The Nittany Lions’ offense can’t be stopped lately, and they always seem to come up with a big play when they need it.

That combination worked for Auburn three years ago in a 59-42 victory over Missouri as a near-identical 2.5-point underdog. Obviously, the overall situations are completely different.

But Auburn taught a lesson that sometimes numbers can’t fully quantify a team that’s on an unbelievable run. Penn State is that team this year.

That’s enough to back then on a day where there’s not much to like on the college football board.

Current Standings: Brewer (19-16-1, $10,965), Keefer (25-21-2, $9,751), Granger (2-6, $7,630)

Case Keefer can be reached at 702-948-2790 or [email protected]. Follow Case on Twitter at twitter.com/casekeefer.