by After the Commish calling me out on the podcast this week for not putting out a lot of plays, I’m coming to you with the full degenerate dozen. I wasn’t planning on doing an article to back my picks this week, but it was a good way to kill some time on my flight.
THE LOCK
I hate the word ‘lock’ but big time players make big time plays. As the season progresses I feel less confident calling any game a lock so I’m coming to you with only one this week.
Iowa at Penn State -15
I already highlighted this game in separate article but this Penn State team is looking to prove themselves on the national stage. Look for their defense to dominate and the offense to score enough points to cover.
The 60/40 Games
Most of the games on this weeks slate, and for the rest of the season for that matter, will fall into this bucket.
Coastal Carolina/Georgia State Over 62.5
I’m convinced group of 5 schools just aren’t allowed to play defense. It’s as simple as that. Give me the over in this Thursday matchup in Conway.
Florida State -2.5 at Clemson
After a game at Boston College last week, look for FSU to bounce back against Clemson this week. This is still a good Seminole team and Clemson is not the same caliber team we’re used to seeing.
Minnesota -11.5 at Northwestern
Minnesota will be competing for the Big Ten West title, while Northwestern looks to spend another year as a Big Ten cellar dweller.
Oklahoma -14.5 at Cincinnati
This is a team that is failing to get the national recognition that they deserve. Look for the Sooners and Dillion Gabriel to come out firing. Cincinnati was a good story when they made the playoff, but they no longer have Desmond Ridder, Sauce Gardner, or Luke Fickel.
Rice -2.5 at South Florida
I’ll be honest, I don’t know much about this game but I’ll ride with Gameday Journal JT Daniels and Rice in this one.
Ole Miss/Alabama Under 55.5
Alabama’s offense has looked abysmal, while their defense is pretty solid. Look for this to be a low scoring, grind it out SEC matchup.
Texas at Baylor +15
As great as this Texas team looked against Alabama, they still have an issue playing consistently. In fact, just last week against Wyoming, Texas was in a tight contest for most of the ball game. Texas always seems to play down to the level of their competition, so look for Baylor to cover at home.
Ohio State -3.0 at Notre Dame
As much as I do not want to root for the Buckeyes in this one, they are simply the more talented team. Only one of these teams has Marvin Harrison, so give me the team with him, with the points.
Cal at Washington -20.5
As self proclaimed President of the Michael Penix Jr. fan club, I think he and this Washington team beat the brakes off of Cal. This Washington team is really good and features a high-powered offense, so look for them to cover three touchdowns.
The Upsets
Upsets are arguably the most entertaining aspect of college football, so here’s a few to look out for during this week’s games.
UCLA upsets Utah
This is a Utah team that has not looked good up to this point. If Cam Rising does not suit up for Utah this game could get ugly. If he does play, look for UCLA to win a close one.
Washington State upsets Oregon State
Two of the PAC-12’s more underrated teams square off Saturday. Washington State has looked great this year, already knocking off Wisconsin. DJ U has looked better for Oregon State and the Beavers than he did in the past at Clemson, but I still think the cougars pull this one out. Washington State wins a close one.