Not gonna lie...seeing Euros say, "America isn't anything like we were told," has me gettin' a little misty.
To my fellow Americans, especially y'all down here in the South, thanks for proving that our greatest export has never been what's on TV.
It's always been our people.
Most people think life gets easier after the hard times.
Mike Bianco disagrees.
"The hard times don't stop. You just learn to handle hard better."
โพ Presented by Allen's Supermarket
#HottyToddy#RoadToOmaha#OleMissBaseball#CollegeWorldSeries
College Baseball Friday BEST BET ๐
Record: 23-17 (+7.69 U)
โพ๏ธ | UNC vs Ole Miss at 7pm EST
We swept Super Regionals, letโs keep the heater going in Omaha.
I made this bet shortly after the lines were posted, and after a recent change on the mound, I like it even more.
When I originally placed the wager, I assumed the pitching matchup would be Hunter Elliott for Ole Miss against Jason DeCaro for UNC.
With those two facing off, it's fair to make Ole Miss an underdog, just not to the extent the market did.
Now that Taylor Rabe is getting the ball for the Rebels, this game should be priced much closer to a pick'em.
Not only do I understand the switch from Elliott to Rabe, but I think it's the correct decision.
Elliott was a key part of Ole Miss's 2022 national championship run and has been their trusted ace for years, but UNC is better equipped to handle left-handed pitching, and the right-handed Rabe has simply been more effective this season.
Rabe's 3.71 ERA is already better than Elliott's 5.15, but the advanced metrics tell an even stronger story.
His 1.55 SIERA is elite, putting him in the same neighborhood as pitchers like Dylan Volantis.
A big reason why is his ability to dominate the strike zone. Rabe strikes out more than 12 batters per nine innings while issuing just 1.4 walks per nine, consistently forcing hitters into uncomfortable at-bats.
On the other side, I'm not quite as high on DeCaro as the market seems to be. He's undoubtedly a very good pitcher, but it's difficult to ignore the underlying numbers.
He's striking out fewer than a batter per inning while walking nearly four per nine. His 3.98 SIERA suggests he's benefited from some favorable variance on his way to a 2.28 ERA.
He's a great arm, but I think he's become slightly overvalued.
Ole Miss has already shown it can win low-scoring, pitcher-duel type games, as evidenced by its wins over Auburn. But if DeCaro makes even one mistake, this Rebels lineup has the power to change the game instantly.
Power is the identity of this offense, which has launched 107 home runs this season while holding a slight edge in wRC+ over UNC, 108 to 107.
What's most underrated about Ole Miss, though, is the pitching staff behind the starter. Rabe is excellent, but he's handing the ball off to a staff that owns a 2.92 SIERA, the fourth-best mark in the country.
I love several of UNC's arms, and we'll likely see their best relievers in a game of this magnitude, but I don't believe the Tar Heels hold the significant post-starter advantage that many assume.
Ole Miss also brings something that can't be measured by the numbers: experience.
Mike Bianco has already won a national championship and knows exactly what it takes to navigate Omaha.
Don't be surprised if Ole Miss is the last team standing. It all starts Friday with a win over UNC.
The Pick: Ole Miss ML (+138)
- Risk 0.5 U @BetMGM
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2 years ago Mike Brown got fired for calling out DeโAaron Fox for being an Idiot. Now Mike Brown is going to win a Championship because DeโAaron Fox is an Idiot. Full circle moment
Hell yeah! Damn right! @OleMissBSB jumps out to a commanding lead in the first half of the day. @WVUBaseball has a lot of fight in em. We are here all night, come through and run up the numbers! Next update at 8pm! #roadtoroccos