We batted a clean .625 last week in our NCAA Football picks against the spread, which is about .500 better than the heart of the Dodgers’ order batted in the World Series. Sorry to those looking for a follow up to our editor’s Game 6 Random Thoughts, but he still hasn’t gotten off of his sofa since the game ended and he’s hugging a teddy bear.
On a different Dodgers note, we obviously don’t condone the behavior, but the following video pretty much sums up every Dodgers fan we know:
Weekly Reminder 1: As always, our strategy for most games (we go with our gut occasionally) is pretty simple: Vegas doesn’t like losing money so we go against the overwhelming trends (e.g. when one team has 80% of the public behind it), which leads to many underdog picks because the public is always in love with favorites. Unfortunately, our strategy also incorporates picking UCLA every week because Mr. Rudin went there. We still won somehow.
Weekly Reminder 2: Some of the games on Yahoo show the spread as “off”, which means a spread has not been assigned. Yahoo makes those games an even line. We won’t be making picks for those in this column. Our picks will appear here in a weekly column on Thursday mornings until season’s end or the time where we realize that our picks have become so putrid that they become embarrassing to post, whichever comes first.
MARSHALL +7.5 at FLORIDA ATLANTIC
When in doubt, take the points.
UCLA +7 at UTAH
Having to pick UCLA because our editor went there is getting more and more brutal with every passing week.
KANSAS +7.5 vs. BAYLOR
Kansas may stink at football, but Baylor is still paying for its sins.
FLORIDA +3.5 at MISSOURI
Florida has been unbelievably awful, but underdogs to Missouri?
MICHIGAN STATE +9 vs. PENN STATE
79% of the public is on the Nittany Lions. We’ll bank on a Penn State hangover from last week’s brutal loss to Ohio State.
AUBURN -15 at TEXAS A&M
The wheels have officially broken off the Aggie wagon.
FLORIDA STATE -5 vs. SYRACUSE
We think FSU will roll in this one.
GEORGIA TECH -10 at VIRGINIA
Yes, we still love that triple option.
N.C. STATE +7.5 vs. CLEMSON
It’s possible that Notre Dame is the real deal and that N.C. State stunk the place up last week. We’re expecting a bounce back and a close game here.
RUTGERS +2.5 vs. MARYLAND
Both of these teams stink. When you think it’s a coin flip, take a home team underdog.
WEST VIRGINIA -2.5 vs. IOWA STATE
Morgantown is where Iowa State’s run comes to an end. That is a tough place to play, unless you’re Oklahoma State.
NEBRASKA -1 vs. NORTHWESTERN
This isn’t your grandfather’s Nebraska team, but they should be able to beat Northwestern at home.
IOWA +17.5 vs. OHIO STATE
Ohio State’s going to be flying high after last week’s amazing comeback. Iowa is not a team to underestimate in what could be an ugly, low scoring game.
STANFORD +2.5 at WASHINGTON STATE
These are the sorts of games that Stanford has won under David Shaw.
SOUTH CAROLINA +24.5 at GEORGIA
Georgia’s going to be feeling the pressure after getting the top seed in the first playoff poll. They may come out a little shaky.
AIR FORCE -7 vs. ARMY
Air Force is just a far superior team to Army this season.
WAKE FOREST +13.5 at NOTRE DAME
A whopping 88% of the public is on the Fighting Irish bandwagon. That’s a crazy number for a spread that’s stayed put.
OKLAHOMA STATE -2.5 vs. OKLAHOMA
College GameDay is going to Stillwater for the game known as Bedlam. It will be high scoring and we expect Mason Rudolph to make a game winning play late.
COLORADO STATE -3 at WYOMING
Colorado State isn’t horrible this year. No, really!
SMU +14.5 vs. CENTRAL FLORIDA
82% is on Central Florida’s bandwagon. Don’t run with the sheep here.
TEXAS +7 at TCU
Texas is keeping these tough games close. They’ll do so again here.
MIAMI +2.5 vs. VIRGINIA TECH
Why is Miami the underdog? What are we missing?
ALABAMA -21 vs. LSU
You think Alabama likes being ranked behind Georgia? We don’t.
WASHINGTON -21 vs. OREGON
Oregon’s really bad this season. Like, lost to UCLA bad.
ARIZONA +7.5 at USC
Too many points.
LAST WEEK: 15-9-1
SEASON: 103-109-3