Syracuse Orange Football – Heartland Sports

Friday Locks: Week 9 – Cougars, Chaos, and Course Correction

After a few weeks of frustration, Friday Locks finally swung a little momentum back in the right direction. We went 7–5 collectively in Week 8,…

Friday Locks: Week 1 Predictions from Columbus to Norman

M. HofeldAugust 29, 2025 No Comments Alabama Crimson Tide Football Clemson Tigers Football Florida State Seminoles Football Friday Locks Illinois State Redbirds Football Iowa State Cyclones Football Kansas State Wildcats Football LSU Tigers Football North Dakota Football Ohio State Buckeyes Football Oklahoma Sooners Oklahoma Sooners Football Old Dominion Football South Carolina Gamecocks Football South Dakota Jack Rabbits Football Syracuse Orange Football Tennessee Volunteers Football Texas Longhorns Football Virginia Tech Hokies Football

Our crew is back for another round of Friday Locks after going 6–6 last week, with three of the four of us finishing with winning…

Friday Locks | Attacking Big Point Spreads

M. HofeldDecember 4, 2020 1 Comment Alabama Crimson Tide Football Baylor Bears Football Cal Golden Bears Clemson Tigers Football Florida Gators Football Iowa State Cyclones Football Kansas State Wildcats Football LSU Tigers Football Michigan State Spartans Football Navy Football Notre Dame Football Ohio State Buckeyes Football Oklahoma Sooners Oklahoma Sooners Football Oklahoma State Cowboys Oklahoma State Cowboys Football Oregon Ducks Football Syracuse Orange Football TCU Horned Frogs Football Tennessee Volunteers Football Texas Longhorns Football Tulsa Golden Hurricane Football Virginia Tech Hokies Football West Virginia Mountaineers Football

Ohio State is in a difficult situation due to the number of games on their schedule. I expect there to be some significant style points here against an inept Michigan State team.

Friday Locks | Cincinnati Should Be Favored By More!

M. HofeldNovember 20, 2020 No Comments Appalachian State Football Arkansas Razorbacks Football Cincinnati Bearcats Football Coastal Carolina Football Indiana Hoosiers Football Iowa State Cyclones Football Kansas State Wildcats Football Louisville Cardinals Football LSU Tigers Football Minnesota Golden Gophers Football Northwestern Wildcats Football Ohio State Buckeyes Football Oklahoma Sooners Oklahoma Sooners Football Recruiting Oklahoma State Cowboys Oklahoma State Cowboys Football Recruiting Oregon Ducks Football Purdue Boilermakers Football Syracuse Orange Football UCF Football UCLA Bruins Football USC Trojans Football Utah Utes Football Wisconsin Badgers Football

The Bearcats have built quite the reputation this season based upon a stout defense that surrenders a mere 12.4 points per outing. However, the ability to score 41.6 points per game (No. 13 in the country statistically) doesn’t allow opponents much room for mistakes. Similarly, UCF has the capability of scoring quickly themselves. Yet, it’s hard to ignore the defensive differences in this one. If defense wins championships then I have to bank on the Cincy program claiming a win and covering here.

Friday Locks | Can The Vols Hold The Line?

M. HofeldOctober 23, 2020 No Comments Alabama Crimson Tide Football BYU Cougars Football Clemson Tigers Football Coastal Carolina Football Friday Locks Georgia Southern Football Indiana Hoosiers Football Iowa State Cyclones Football Kansas Jayhawks Football Kansas State Wildcats Football NC State Football North Carolina Football Oklahoma Sooners Oklahoma State Cowboys Oklahoma State Cowboys Football Penn State Football South Florida Bulls Football Syracuse Orange Football Tennessee Volunteers Football Texas Longhorns Football Texas State Football Tulane Green Wave Tulsa Golden Hurricane Football UCF Football

Tennessee got embarrassed last week at home which resulted in a firing of an assistant coach. This is a rivalry game for the Volunteers and they’ll be excited and ready to play. Alabama is coming off a huge win last week and I don’t think they’ll be as focused.

Friday Locks Week 4 | Oh The Shame!

M. HofeldSeptember 25, 2020 No Comments Alabama Crimson Tide Football Arkansas Razorbacks Football Army Black Knight Football Central Florida Football Cincinnati Bearcats Football East Carolina Football Florida State Seminoles Football Georgia Bulldogs Football Georgia Southern Football Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets Football Kansas State Wildcats Football Louisiana Lafayette Football Louisville Cardinals Football Miami Hurricanes Football Missouri Tigers Football Oklahoma Sooners Oklahoma Sooners Football Oklahoma State Cowboys Oklahoma State Cowboys Football Pittsburgh Panthers Football Syracuse Orange Football West Virginia Mountaineers Football

We’ll get it figured out…eventually. Until then, your best course of action is to look at our picks and absolutely go the other way. Just…

Friday Locks Week 2 | Return Of The Power Five

M. HofeldSeptember 11, 2020 No Comments Clemson Tigers Football Duke Blue Devils Football Florida State Seminoles Football Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets Football Iowa State Cyclones Football Louisiana Football North Carolina Football Notre Dame Football Oklahoma Sooners Oklahoma State Cowboys Syracuse Orange Football Texas Longhorns Football UTEP Miners Football Wake Forest Football

Once again if you would have taken our collective advice against the spread, and then gone the opposite direction, you would have made some money…

Friday Locks | Expecting Texas To Cover Against LSU?

M. HofeldSeptember 6, 2019 No Comments Alabama Crimson Tide Football Army Black Knights Football Boise State Broncos Football Cincinnati Bearcats Football Clemson Tigers Football Colorado Buffaloes Florida Atlantic Owls Football Friday Locks Iowa Hawkeyes Football LSU Tigers Football Marshall Football Maryland Terrapins Football Michigan State Spartans Football Michigan Wolverines Football Nebraska Cornhuskers New Mexico State Football Ohio State Buckeyes Football Oklahoma Sooners Oklahoma State Cowboys Rutgers Football Stanford Cardinal Football Syracuse Orange Football Texas A&M Football Texas Longhorns Football UCF Football USC Trojans Football Western Michigan Football

Well it wasn’t a great start to the season for us but at least we’ve got our heads above water with an overall 8-7 record.…

Friday Locks | How We Feel About Oklahoma And All Those Points

M. HofeldAugust 30, 2019 No Comments Alabama Crimson Tide Football Auburn Tigers Football Duke Blue Devils Football Florida Atlantic Owls Football Georgia Bulldogs Football Houston Cougars Football Liberty Flames Football Louisiana Tech Football Louisville Cardinals Football Northwestern Wildcats Football Notre Dame Football Ohio State Buckeyes Football Oklahoma Sooners Oklahoma Sooners Football Oklahoma State Cowboys Oregon Ducks Football Stanford Cardinal Football Syracuse Orange Football Texas Longhorns Football Vanderbilt Football

Here we go! Tine to show you exactly how much we don’t know about picking against the spread. Mark Louisiana Tech +20.5 at Texas |…

Friday Locks Week 12 | Texas Hosts Iowa State In Big 12 Elimination Game

M. HofeldNovember 16, 2018 No Comments Arizona Wildcats Football Cincinnati Bearcats Football Colorado State Football Iowa State Cyclones Football Kansas Jayhawks Football Maryland Terrapins Football Minnesota Golden Gophers Football Northwestern Wildcats Football Notre Dame Football Ohio State Buckeyes Football Oklahoma Sooners Oklahoma State Cowboys Oklahoma State Cowboys Football Syracuse Orange Football Texas Longhorns Football UCF Football Utah State Football Washington State Cougars Football West Virginia Mountaineers Football

I’ll take the Cyclones straight up in this one. The Longhorns are on that downhill slide, and Iowa State is surging with the Big 12 Championship Game in mind.