What's the point of huge spread? Money

HOW MANY points would you have to get to pick Savannah State over No. 6 Florida State on Saturday?

Would 30 be enough? How about 40? Fifty maybe?

On Thursday, according to oddsmaking site Pregame.com, the game opened with the largest point spread in college football sports betting history: 70 1/2 points.

Now before you empty your bank account, you should know that just last week, Savannah was involved in the previous opening-line record. The Tigers were listed a 65 1/2 point underdogs against Oklahoma State.

By game-time the line had dwindled to 58. Didn't matter. The Sooners, then ranked No. 19, won, 84-0.

Why would Savannah, a Football Championship Subdivision school that was 1-10 last year, want to start the season against two Top 25 Division I teams?

Can you say cha-ching?

That's right. It's about the money, stupid.

Savannah received $385,000 to travel to Oklahoma State, and will receive $475,000 to get spanked at Tallahassee, Fla.

Any bettor will tell you that's a winning proposition.

It's hard to tell what the final line of Saturday's game will be.

"It could go higher, lower or stay the same," RJ Bell of Pregame.com told the Orlando Sentinel. "At that point, they're trying to project what the end result of this game is going to be."

Previously, the highest closing line was 60 when Hawaii was favored over Northern Colorado in 2007. The Warriors won, 63-6, but failed to cover.

Last week, Florida State defeated Murray State - another FCS team - 69-3 as defensive end Bjoern Werner had four of the Seminoles' six sacks.

The most points Florida State has ever scored was 77 in a win over North Carolina State in 1995.

You gotta love Fark.com's headline about the death of former NFL owner Art Modell: "Art Modell died. Services to be held in the middle of the night."