College Football Picks

The big question entering this Thursday’s match-up is can Baylor’s defense step up to compete against this dynamic West Virginia offense? The Bears defense has not been impressive thus far allowing over 400 yards and 31 points per game. Mountaineers QB Will Grier is a veteran with an accurate arm. Jay Horne looks at the odds from the sportsbooks and tries to answer this question and more. Read Jay’s pick.

Jay Horne: Why I am so confident in Georgia Tech this week despite the fact they have looked pretty bad in recent weeks. After all, Virginia Tech is 4-2 SU and 3-0 in conference play. However, I think everyone needs to consider a couple of important factors surrounding this match-up. Read my Georgia Tech pick!

Will the real Miami quarterback please stand up? Boston College’s offense knows their game plan. Miami is still searching as it settles into its new old QB. Malik Rosier began the season as the man. He was benched for freshman N’Kosi Perry who sparked the offense by completing his first 10 passes against Florida International. Since, he completed less than 45% of his attempts and tossed two picks in the loss to Virginia. Coach Mark Richt will revert back to the senior Rosier to lead the Canes. Can BC take advantage of a cold QB or can Rosier lead the Canes to close out his senior year season? Jay Horne has his football pick.

Wisconsin was a playoff hopeful to start this season because they were supposed to be one of the best offenses in the Big Ten. The Badger defense was going to be young but they were going to be allowed to develop with the offense covering their backside. That has not materialized however and much of the offensive inconsistency is due to a lack of progression by QB Alex Hornibrook. Can the Wisconsin offense hold it together and cover a whopping 25 point spread?

Last week the Bulldogs added to Auburn’s turmoil upsetting the Tigers 23-9. Now Mississippi State will have the opportunity to do something they have not accomplished since 2014 by winning back to back SEC West games. Bettors who think their efforts may pay off are looking and waiting for a MSU +7. Sportsbooks currently have 6.5. However, Jay Horne is focusing on the total!

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..