Week 2 of the college football season was very hit or miss. Many of the large spreads missed by a point or two and the Big Ten failed in grand fashion. I ended up going 9-10-1 on the week and I don’t feel bad about it. I know a lot of people who went heavy on the Big Ten and took a big loss. Lucky for us, there are actually a few favorable Big Ten point spreads this week.
You now have a (little) better idea of how a team may perform this season…even if they’ve only faced small conference teams.
We were 134-79-8 against the spread betting on college football games last season. We hope to keep it going and help you guys out again this season.
We pick against the spread for all the big college football games on Saturday (September 13th, 2014), a few smaller conference games and a Thursday night game. Enjoy!
Houston at BYU (-18.5) – My pick is Houston
I spoke last week about my love of BYU QB Taysom Hill. He helped take care of Texas with his arm and legs. It wasn’t even close. People expect new Texas head coach Charlie Strong to instantly make the program better, but it will be a few years. They are bad…really bad. That being said, unlike Texas, the Houston Cougars actually have an offense. Houston QB John O’Korn had a poor outing against UTSA, but then bounced back and smoked Grambling State. BYU will win, but the spread is a few points too large to pick them.
Kentucky at Florida (-18.5) – My pick is Kentucky
I am officially drinking the Kentucky blue Kool-Aid. I watched both their games against Tennessee-Martin and Ohio. I really like what I’ve seen from Kentucky quarterback Patrick Towles. He’s a big guy who can move out of the pocket (if needed). The Wildcats are a few strong recruiting classes away from contending in the SEC, but they are just good enough on offense to be dangerous. The Gators will have issues covering against Kentucky and will not cover against them for the eighth time in a row.
Georgia at South Carolina (+6) – My pick is Georgia
Kenny ‘Trill’ Hill smoked the Gamecocks in the opening week and then bounced back against East Carolina. They are facing a legit Heisman contender in running back Todd Gurley this week. He had a ton of buzz last season, but injuries derailed his season. He looks healthy so far, freakishly healthy. I know the Bulldogs have a history of not showing up on the road, but they looked great against Clemson. Give me the Dawgs to cover on the road.
UCLA at Texas (+8) – My pick is UCLA
I don’t feel great picking against two road underdogs in a row, but I hate Texas that much. I wish Jim Mora would give in and make Myles Jack a permanent running back. He was a beast at the end of the season. Paul Perkins was ‘okay’ against Memphis, but he doesn’t have as much potential as Jack. Texas QB Tyrone Swoopes will have issues with UCLA in his second start. Give me the Bruins to embarrass Texas.
Arkansas State at Miami (-16.5) – My pick is Arkansas State
I watched the Miami/Louisville game and I was not impressed the Hurricanes (or their uniforms). Arkansas State is one of the best smaller conferences teams in the nation. They have lost head coach after head coach to bigger programs. Blake Anderson has them playing well and I see them keeping this game close. Give me the points because I believe in the Red Wolves.
East Carolina at Virginia Tech (-11) – My pick is Virginia Tech
ECU Quarterback Shane Carden will have his hands full with the Hokie defense. They have looked great so far and made Ohio State’s J.T. Barrett look his age. East Carolina did play South Carolina tight in the first half last week, but couldn’t play like that for an entire game. The Hokies defense will wear down ECU’s passing attack. Give me Virginia Tech to cover at home.
Iowa State at Iowa (-10) – My pick is Iowa
This line opened up at -13.5, but has been beat down almost three full points. I know Iowa didn’t look great against Ball State, but the Cardinals have been a top-tier MAC team the last few seasons. It would be different if Iowa barely beat Eastern Michigan, but Ball State is a consistent bowl team. Also, the Ball State game was a trap game for Iowa. Every Iowa fan circles the Iowa State game as one of their biggest every season. Bragging rights means a lot, especially if you’re not expected to be a conference title contender. Iowa will cover against the Cyclones.
Tennessee at Oklahoma (-21) – My pick is Tennessee
I’m taking the points in this game because I believe the Vols defense is better than we all thought. I really like Oklahoma QB Trevor Knight and he will get his share of yards and points, but 21 points is a huge spread against an SEC team. I know Tennessee isn’t on Alabama’s level, but they will be a bowl team. The spread is just a tad too large for the Sooners to cover.
Penn State at Rutgers (+3.5) – My pick is Penn State
I thought about this one for awhile. Rutgers and Penn State used to play each other every year, but ended nearly 20 years ago. They considered each other a rival, even though Penn State beat them up a lot. This is Rutgers first official Big Ten game and the crowd will be really into this one. I do think this game will be close at times, but I love Christian Hackenberg. Rutgers allowed Washington State QB Connor Halliday to throw for 532 yards against them. Look for Hackenberg to have a big day in Piscataway, New Jersey.
Western Michigan at Idaho (-3) – My pick is Idaho
This is where we pick an under-the-radar smaller conference game. Both Western Michigan and Idaho were bad last year. A few WMU players were suspended after getting caught shoplifting at Wal-Mart, so the team had to deal with some distractions this week. Idaho’s offense did look decent with freshman QB Matt Linehan starting. Give me the Vandals to cover…and I don’t mean the shoplifters’ team.
QUICK HITS
Nebraska at Fresno State (+10.5) – My pick is Nebraska
Rice at Texas A&M (-31.5) – My pick is Texas A&M
Minnesota at TCU (-13.5) – My pick is TCU
UL Lafayette at Mississippi (-27.5) – My pick is UL Lafayette
Kansas at Duke (-15) – My pick is Duke
Arkansas at Texas Tech (-1.5) – My pick is Arkansas
Wyoming at Oregon (-43.5) – My pick is Wyoming
Indiana at Bowling Green (+7.5) – My pick is Indiana
Baylor at Buffalo (+35) – My pick is Baylor
Western Kentucky at Middle Tennessee (-1) – My pick is Middle Tennessee
*These picks are for entertainment purposes
Follow us on Twitter @Sweetbob & ‘LIKE’ us on Facebook!
About the Author…
Bobby Roberts (otherwise known as Sweetbob) is the creator of ‘America’s White Boy’ and contributor at Project Shanks. His writing has been featured on ESPN’s ‘SportsNation’, Sports Illustrated’s Hot Clicks, Guyspeed, and various other sites. You can follow him on Twitter at @Sweetbob.