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Rock Westfall

National Columnist

Rock Westfall is a former professional sports gambler and the winner of several handicapping championships, including the Winner's Circle. Since 1989 he has worked as a handicapping consultant, sports gambling journalist, and a radio/podcast host/guest. Also, Rock has extensively covered the history of the American Football League, the Kansas City Chiefs, and the original NHL Expansion decade. He currently writes for several online sportsbooks covering sports gambling and news.

Articles From This Author

Sep 10, 2022; Lincoln, Nebraska, USA; Nebraska Cornhuskers head coach Scott Frost walks on the field before a game against the Georgia Southern Eagles at Memorial Stadium.
College Football

Feeling Nebraska Nice for Scott Frost’s UCF Return? Nah

By Rock Westfall
Nov 18, 2023; Baton Rouge, Louisiana, USA; LSU Tigers head coach Brian Kelly before their matchup with the Georgia State Panthers at Tiger Stadium.
Recruiting

Is LSU's Brian Kelly Deflecting, Trolling, or Just Self-Unaware?

By Rock Westfall
Inside NCAA Headquarters located in Indianapolis on Friday, March 10, 2023.
College Football

Mercenaries Are Not “Kids” - Time For Contracts Instead Of the Transfer Portal

By Rock Westfall
Nov 16, 2024; Los Angeles, California, USA; Nebraska Cornhuskers quarterback Dylan Raiola (15) throws as offensive lineman Bryce Benhart (54) provides coverage against Southern California Trojans defensive end Kameryn Fountain (49) during the second half at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.
College Football

Nebraska Postseason Begins With A Gain, A Loss & Top 20 Potential

By Rock Westfall
Sep 7, 2024; Orlando, Florida, USA; UCF Knights head coach Gus Malzahn motions to the field during the second half against the Sam Houston State Bearkats at FBC Mortgage Stadium.
College Football

Traumatized, Desperate Mike Norvell Buys Florida State a Faulty Gus Bus

By Rock Westfall
Sep 7, 2024; Lincoln, Nebraska, USA; Colorado Buffaloes head coach Deion Sanders and Nebraska Cornhuskers head coach Matt Rhule shake hands after the Cornhuskers defeat the Buffaloes at Memorial Stadium.
College Football

Did Deion Sanders & Colorado Actually Outperform Matt Rhule & Nebraska?

By Rock Westfall
Oct 26, 2024; Madison, Wisconsin, USA; Wisconsin Badgers head coach Luke Fickell walks onto the field during warmups prior to the game against the Penn State Nittany Lions at Camp Randall Stadium.
College Football

Chris McIntosh Designed Wisconsin’s and Luke Fickell's Failure

By Rock Westfall
Oct 6, 2023; Champaign, Illinois, USA; Nebraska Cornhuskers head coach Matt Rhule on the sidelines during the first half against the Illinois Fighting Illini at Memorial Stadium.
College Football

“Outclassed” Iowa Had Two Reasons For Knowing It Would Beat Nebraska

By Rock Westfall
Oct 12, 2024; Baton Rouge, Louisiana, USA; Mississippi Rebels head coach Lane Kiffin reacts after a play against the LSU Tigers during the second half at Tiger Stadium.
College Football

Lane Kiffin is Yet to Overcome His Most Fatal Coaching Flaw

By Rock Westfall
Aug 29, 2024; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels head coach Mack Brown looks on during the first half against the Minnesota Golden Gophers at Huntington Bank Stadium.
College Football

Nick Saban Dominated Coaching’s Deadliest Number – Mack Brown Did Not

By Rock Westfall
Nov 11, 2023; Lincoln, Nebraska, USA; Nebraska Cornhuskers defensive lineman Ty Robinson (9), linebacker Luke Reimer (4), and defensive back Isaac Gifford (2) celebrate after recovering a fumble against the Maryland Terrapins during the fourth quarter at Memorial Stadium.
College Football

One New Factor Can Help Nebraska Overcome Its Two Fatal Flaws on Friday

By Rock Westfall
Nov 23, 2024; Baton Rouge, Louisiana, USA; LSU Tigers head coach Brian Kelly reacts to a play against the Vanderbilt Commodores during the second half at Tiger Stadium.
College Football

Notre Dame Gives Thanks for One Thing Above All Else

By Rock Westfall
Oct 5, 2024; Lincoln, Nebraska, USA; Nebraska Cornhuskers quarterback Dylan Raiola (15) throws a pass against the Rutgers Scarlet Knights during the second quarter at Memorial Stadium.
College Football

Big Red Exhale – Bowl-Bound Nebraska Reclaims Its DNA From Wisconsin

By Rock Westfall
LSU Tigers head coach Brian Kelly runs off the field after the first half at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium in Gainesville, FL on Saturday, November 16, 2024.
College Football

Brian Kelly Faces Three Key Threats to His LSU Survival

By Rock Westfall
Sep 16, 2023; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Cougars head coach Dana Holgorsen argues a touchdown call in the first half against the TCU Horned Frogs at TDECU Stadium.
College Football

Dana Holgorsen Fills Two Critical Needs For Nebraska Bowl Push

By Rock Westfall
Nov 16, 2024; Los Angeles, California, USA; Nebraska Cornhuskers quarterback Dylan Raiola (15) throws as offensive lineman Bryce Benhart (54) provides coverage against Southern California Trojans defensive end Kameryn Fountain (49) during the second half at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.
Game Recap

Confirmed: Nebraska, Dylan Raiola & Matt Rhule are Embarrassingly Overrated

By Rock Westfall
Oct 5, 2024; Nashville, Tennessee, USA; Vanderbilt Commodores quarterback Diego Pavia (2) jumps over Alabama Crimson Tide defensive back Malachi Moore (13) for a first down during the second half at FirstBank Stadium.
College Football

Players Rights? Entitled Athletes Demanding & Getting Way Too Much

By Rock Westfall
Oklahoma coach Brent Venables is seen before a Bedlam college football game between the University of Oklahoma Sooners (OU) and the Oklahoma State University Cowboys (OSU) at Gaylord Family-Oklahoma Memorial Stadium in Norman, Okla., Saturday, Nov. 19, 2022. Oklahoma won 28-13.
College Football

Lincoln Riley, Brent Venables & Mike Norvell Apply the Handcuffs

By Rock Westfall
Sep 16, 2023; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Cougars head coach Dana Holgorsen argues a touchdown call in the first half against the TCU Horned Frogs at TDECU Stadium.
College Football

Matt Rhule Goes All In With Desperation Move to Dana Holgorsen

By Rock Westfall
Sep 28, 2024; Tuscaloosa, Alabama, USA; Georgia Bulldogs head coach Kirby Smart talks with the referees during the fourth quarter against the Alabama Crimson Tide at Bryant-Denny Stadium.
College Football

Kirby Smart’s Absolute Power is Corrupting & Declining, Absolutely

By Rock Westfall
Sep 7, 2024; Gainesville, Florida, USA; Florida Gators head coach Billy Napier reacts against the Samford Bulldogs during the second half at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium.
College Football

Scott Stricklin Gives Himself and Billy Napier A Stay of Execution

By Rock Westfall
Nov 18, 2023; Columbia, Missouri, USA; The Missouri Tigers mascot Truman and fans show support against the Florida Gators prior to a game at Faurot Field at Memorial Stadium.
College Football

Arrogant, Discredited Oklahoma Shouldn't Sneer at "Fake Rival" Missouri

By Rock Westfall
Nov 19, 2022; Greenville, North Carolina, USA; Houston Cougars head coach Dana Holgorsen looks on against the East Carolina Pirates during the first half at Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium.
College Football

Matt Rhule Delivers a Stern, Substantive Message By Hiring Dana Holgorsen

By Rock Westfall
Oct 5, 2024; Lincoln, Nebraska, USA; Nebraska Cornhuskers quarterback Dylan Raiola (15) throws a pass against the Rutgers Scarlet Knights during the second quarter at Memorial Stadium.
College Football

Matt Rhule is Enabling Marcus Satterfield’s Indefensible Destruction of Dylan Raiola

By Rock Westfall
Jacksonville State Head Coach Rich Rodriguez talks on his headset during college football action at Burgess-Snow Field Jacksonville State Stadium in Jacksonville, Alabama.
College Football

Could Rich Rodriguez’s Redemption Tour Include West Virginia’s Country Roads?

By Rock Westfall
Indiana's Tayven Jackson (2) passes during the Indiana versus Nebraska football game at Memorial Stadium on Saturday, Oct. 19, 2024.
College Football

Matt Rhule’s Nebraska Crockpot Recipe Will Outlast Curt Cignetti’s Microwave

By Rock Westfall
Nov 5, 2022; Baton Rouge, Louisiana, USA; LSU Tigers head coach Brian Kelly looks on against the Alabama Crimson Tide during the second half at Tiger Stadium.
College Football

LSU Worried It Was Brian Kelly Instead of Notre Dame

By Rock Westfall
Florida State University Athletic Director Michael Alford stands on the sidelines as the war chant is played by the Marching Chiefs before kickoff of the game between the Seminoles and the Clemson Tigers at Doak Campbell Stadium on Saturday, Oct. 15, 2022.
College Football

Athletic Directors Keep Handcuffing Themselves With Ludicrous Coaching Contracts

By Rock Westfall
Dylan Raiola 2
Game Recap

Nebraska Wins Back Self-Respect, Optimism & Progress in Loss to Ohio State

By Rock Westfall
Nov 18, 2023; Madison, Wisconsin, USA; Nebraska Cornhuskers head coach Matt Rhule stands with Nebraska athletic director Trev Alberts during warmups prior to the game against the Wisconsin Badgers at Camp Randall Stadium.
College Football

Did Trev Alberts See a Nebraska Future That Can’t Work?

By Rock Westfall
Oct 6, 2023; Champaign, Illinois, USA; Nebraska Cornhuskers head coach Matt Rhule on the sidelines during the first half against the Illinois Fighting Illini at Memorial Stadium.
College Football

Matt Rhule Wins Another Presser, But On-Field Success Must Follow

By Rock Westfall
Oklahoma coach Brent Venables stands on the sideline as Oklahoma Sooners quarterback Jackson Arnold (11) walks off he field after a fumble during a college football game between the University of Oklahoma Sooners (OU) and the Tennessee Volunteers at Gaylord Family - Oklahoma Memorial Stadium in Norman, Okla., Saturday, Sept. 21, 2024.
College Football

Firing Seth Littrell Adds to Brent Venables' Perfect Storm at Oklahoma

By Rock Westfall
Nebraska's Jamier Johnson (9) celebrates his interception during the Indiana versus Nebraska football game at Memorial Stadium on Saturday, Oct. 19, 2024.
Game Recap

Indiana Exposes Plodding Nebraska as a Pitiful, Helpless, Wannabe Giant

By Rock Westfall
Sep 14, 2024; Pasadena, California, USA; UCLA Bruins quarterback Ethan Garbers (4) is tackled by Indiana Hoosiers defensive lineman James Carpenter (99) in the first half at Rose Bowl.
College Football

Shameless UCLA Should Fully Commit or Drop Football

By Rock Westfall
Nov 24, 2023; Lincoln, Nebraska, USA; Nebraska Cornhuskers head coach Matt Rhule talks to an official during their game against the Iowa Hawkeyes at Memorial Stadium.
Game Preview

Flawed Nebraska, Matt Rhule & Dylan Raiola Must Find Next Gear Against Indiana

By Rock Westfall
Dec 3, 2022; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; FOX Sports analyst Urban Meyer before the Big Ten Championship between the Michigan Wolverines and the Purdue Boilermakers at Lucas Oil Stadium.
Featured

Why USC Should Dump the Life of Lincoln Riley for an Urban Meyer Renewal

By Rock Westfall
Oct 12, 2024; Boulder, Colorado, USA; Colorado Buffaloes head coach Deion Sanders looks on from the sideline during the second half against the Kansas State Wildcats at Folsom Field.
College Football

Colorado and Deion Sanders: Dynamic Skill, No Depth, and a Questionable Future

By Rock Westfall
Oct 14, 2023; College Park, Maryland, USA; Maryland Terrapins head coach Mike Locksley reacts after a call during the second half against the Illinois Fighting Illini at SECU Stadium.
College Football

Maryland and Mike Locksley Lay Another Terp

By Rock Westfall
Oklahoma Sooners head coach Brent Venables, at right, and Texas Longhorns head coach Steve Sarkisian talk before the Red River Showdown college football game between the University of Oklahoma (OU) and Texas at the Cotton Bowl in Dallas, Saturday, Oct. 8, 2022.
College Football

Steve Sarkisian Picks Quinn Ewers over Arch Manning – Smart?

By Rock Westfall
Oct 5, 2024; Nashville, Tennessee, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide head coach Kalen DeBoer gestures on the sidelines against the Vanderbilt Commodores during the second half at FirstBank Stadium.
College Football

Paul Finebaum Concurs on the Bama Difference Between Nick Saban and Kalen DeBoer

By Rock Westfall
Tennessee Volunteers quarterback Nico Iamaleava (8) drops back to pass during a college football game between the University of Oklahoma Sooners (OU) and the Tennessee Volunteers at Gaylord Family - Oklahoma Memorial Stadium in Norman, Okla., Saturday, Sept. 21, 2024.
College Football

Nico Iamaleava, Josh Heupel & Vol Nation Must Get Over Themselves

By Rock Westfall
Georgia coach Kirby Smart argues a call with the ref during the second half of the SEC Championship game against Alabama at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, on Saturday, Dec. 2, 2023. Alabama won 27-24.
College Football

UGA Continues Enabling Kirby Smart to be Urban Meyer 2.0

By Rock Westfall
Colorado Buffaloes quarterback Shedeur Sanders (2) and head coach Deion Sanders following a two-point conversion in the fourth quarter against the Colorado State Rams.
College Football

Whitlock: Coach Prime & Shedeur to Dolphins – Completely Sensible

By Rock Westfall
Nov 27, 2021; Stillwater, Oklahoma, USA; Oklahoma Sooners head coach Lincoln Riley yells towards an official during the fourth quarter against the Oklahoma State Cowboys at Boone Pickens Stadium. Oklahoma State won 37-33.
College Football

Life of Riley: A Trojan Horse with Feet of Clay

By Rock Westfall
Sep 14, 2024; Madison, Wisconsin, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide head coach Kalen DeBoer during the game against the Wisconsin Badgers at Camp Randall Stadium.
College Football

Softer Coach DeBoer’s Alabama Honeymoon Ends After Permitting the Impossible

By Rock Westfall
Aug 31, 2024; Lincoln, Nebraska, USA; Nebraska Cornhuskers quarterback Dylan Raiola (15) rolls out to pass against the UTEP Miners during the third quarter at Memorial Stadium.
College Football

Rutgers Presents Danger but Offers Redemption Potential for Nebraska

By Rock Westfall
Dec 30, 2023; Miami Gardens, FL, USA; Florida State Seminoles head coach Mike Norvell reacts against the Georgia Bulldogs during the second half in the 2023 Orange Bowl at Hard Rock Stadium.
College Football

Perfect Storm for Coach Prime, Mike Norvell, and Florida State?

By Rock Westfall
Aug 30, 2024; Madison, Wisconsin, USA; Wisconsin Badgers head coach Luke Fickell looks on during the second quarter against the Western Michigan Broncos at Camp Randall Stadium.
Featured

Wisconsin & Fickell Handing Back DNA to Rhule & Nebraska

By Rock Westfall
Nebraska's head coach Matt Rhule looks on from the sideline during the second quarter in the game against Michigan State on Saturday, Nov. 4, 2023, at Spartan Stadium in East Lansing.
Game Recap

Nebraska, Rhule, and Raiola Earn Hideously Beautiful Win

By Rock Westfall
Oklahoma coach Brent Venables stands on the sideline as Oklahoma Sooners quarterback Jackson Arnold (11) walks off he field after a fumble during a college football game between the University of Oklahoma Sooners (OU) and the Tennessee Volunteers at Gaylord Family - Oklahoma Memorial Stadium in Norman, Okla., Saturday, Sept. 21, 2024.
College Football

Oklahoma’s Crisis - Brent Venables is Lincoln Riley Inversed

By Rock Westfall