College Football Picks

Colorado is disappointed in their play versus USC as they got beat routinely in the secondary, had a poor day offensively, and when it mattered most in the second half the Buffaloes got stung for four holding calls. Can they rebound and put up a fight versus 15th ranked Washington?

QB pressure will be a key in this game. The Ducks brought a ton of pressure on Washington’s Jake Locker last week with a many blitz packages. WSU QB Garner Minshew II will see something similar from the Ducks but this is where the air-raid is so dangerous… Teams blitz which opens even more targets and the system is designed to get the ball out quickly. Is this matchup bad for a Ducks team that is only getting a field goal from online bookies?

It really is no secret how Michigan intends to handle this game, or any game for that matter. The offense has balance in averaging over 200 yards in both passing and rushing but that run game where the money is made. Karan Higdon leads the team with 687 yards and six scores and averages 5.7 yards per carry. Can Higdon and the Wolverines run through the Spartans and beat the 7 point spread? Ted Walker has his college football pick.

Sportsbooks highlight this mismatch with a 3+ touchdown spread. Colorado State needs to put points up as the defense is not expected to stop Boise St from getting theirs. The Rams will look to the play of wide receiver, Preston Williams and quarterback, KJ Carta-Samuels. Williams is the type player that can make an impact without even touching the ball. Defenses are forced to focus on him allowing Carta-Samuels to spread the ball around. Will he be enough of a draw to move the defense against a superior Boise State team? Bob Clark gives his college football pick.

Stanford over the last decade has been a Pac-12 title contender just about every year. More times than not, the success of Stanford is based on their hard nosed defense and their run game on offense. This season has not been good to Stanford so far, especially on offense. The Cardinal is only averaging right at 85 rushing yards per game which ranks them as one of the worst in the FBS. How do we expect their offense to materialize versus ASU? Bob Clark makes his prediction.

The Buckeyes haven’t covered against the spread in their last three games but probably couldn’t care less, as they continue to win and climb in the rankings. A defensive team historically, Ohio State is now known for their offense. The Buckeyes feature the third ranking passing attack in America (371.4 yards per game) anchored by a man who could perhaps be hoisting the Heisman if he continues to play at this level. Can Dwayne Haskins heat up the field against Purdue and get OSU backers a 14 point cover? Keith franks gives his football pick.

The public perception is that Clemson’s offense is still this fast paced electrifying passing threat that hits big plays everywhere on the field. This shows in the sportsbook’s odds. No doubt Clemson has some enormous talent in the passing game. QB Trevor Lawrence has looked good since taking over the from former starter Kelly Bryant. Lawrence has tossed 11 TDs with just 2 picks and has a host of talented receivers. However, this offense is not nearly as prolific as sports bettors believe. Does that fact leave value in the +17 line? Jay Horne gives his College Football Pick!

Ole Miss Quarterback Jordan Ta’amu has been rock solid with 15 passing scores and 5 picks. Running back Scottie Phillips has racked up 723 yards with 9 touchdowns in the first half of the year. Meanwhile, the Rebels receiving corps has plenty of talent as well with A.J Brown and D.K. Metcalf on the outside. To break it down simply, each team’s offensive weapons attack the defense’s weakness. Jay Horne handicaps this game and offers his football pick.

The Tennessee Volunteers delivered one of the biggest upsets in the SEC last week with an impressive 30-24 victory over no. 21 Auburn. The victory marked the Vols first SEC win since 2016 and poured gasoline on the fire that continues to surround Gus Malzahn’s tenure on the Plains. Most sports bettors aren’t looking for the upset as 28.5 dogs but is that too many points for the Volunteers? Jay Horne breaks down the game.

Oklahoma is coming off a loss to rival Texas in the annual Red River Showdown. The Sooners fell to the Longhorns by a score of 48-45 where over 1,000 yards of offense was produced. Though Oklahoma lost as a touchdown favorite and gave up its top-five ranking in the process, there is more to the story than the final score. The Sooners trailed by 21 points at the beginning of the fourth quarter and they rallied back to tie the game with 2:38 remaining in regulation. Will they ride that 4th quarter when they face TCU on Saturday? Keith Franks has his prediction.

The season is shaping up a bit better for USC after a rough start. Winning a pair of conference games leading into an off-week should help get this team’s confidence level where it needs to be. Granted, a lot hasn’t worked out so far as there have been a bunch of mistakes, and only one cover ATS. There is the element of upside with this being a young team learning with every play. Loot Levinson looks at the Trojans current position and if they should be able to cover the -7 spread versus an undefeated Colorado team..

Oregon enters this game coming off the break, which was proceeded by a big 42-24 win over a then-unbeaten Cal team. The week before that featured an overtime-loss to Stanford. Oregon has proven to be a dangerous team for whoever they face as evident by the +3.5 spread. But is it enough points to make it a value play versus Washington?

The odds are stacked against LSU from a match-up perspective. The Bulldogs have looked extremely strong this year in SEC play easily beating the likes of South Carolina, Tennessee, and Vanderbilt. Obviously the talent level that the Tigers possess is greater than any of those programs but LSU also has some obvious holes in their football team. Jay Horne takes a look at this matchup and makes his prediction.

If you combine Tagovailoa’s success with Alabama’s typically strong running attack behind Najee Harris and Damien Harris, you have one of the most lethal scoring units in the country. Alabama has done a great job of setting the tone with the run and hitting the plays over the top. That exact scenario creates a lot of problems for Missouri’s defense. But we already knew Alabama was high powered. Are they packing enough firepower to cover the 28.5 vs Missouri? Jay Horne gives his pick.

It rarely makes sense to look at a contest two seasons ago as a predictor for NCAA football but this is game is setting up much like the 2016 contest between these two. Wisconsin was good, but imperfect on offense with an inconsistent Alex Hornibrook in his first season as a starter. Michigan was a contender in the Big Ten and beyond but would be up against a tough test that could match size and strength. The result then was a 14-7 grinder that Michigan won. Sportsbooks have the spread at 7.5 meaning the same score would favor the dog. Ted Walker looks ahead to this Saturday night play.

Both teams come into this rivalry game on a bye, so there is no edge on rest. TCU comes in off a 17-14 nail-biter when they hosted Iowa State as an 11-point favorite. The Frogs of War had lost two games leading up to this and it was against teams ranked in the top-ten in Texas and Ohio State. Keith Franks looks at how both 3-2 teams have grown this season and offers his football pick.