A few undefeated teams fell last week. Memphis, Michigan State, LSU and TCU all possibly had their championship hopes go down the tubes. The way Michigan State fell had to sting the worst. The referee should have threw a flag for illegal touching.
Clemson, Alabama, Ohio State and Notre Dame are currently sit at the top of the College Football Playoff rankings. They technically control their own destiny, but you never know what kind of response the committee will have going forward.
Teams are now trying to become bowl-eligible. It seems like crazy things happen when a team has five wins and needing six.
We at ‘America’s White Boy’ pick against the spread for all the big college football games on Saturday (November 14th, 2015), and pick some smaller conference games as well. Enjoy!
Arkansas at LSU (-7.5) – My pick is LSU Tigers
Arkansas started out the season quite poor. They come into this week on a three-game winning streak, with two of those wins coming in overtime. Their defense has been a huge question mark during this stretch. LSU just lost to rival Alabama last week. Nick Saban was able to hold RB Leonard Fournette to 31 yards on 19 carries. Arkansas will not be able to match those numbers. Fournette will find it easy to run against Arkansas. LSU will cover at home.
Michigan at Indiana (+13.5) – My pick is Indiana Hoosiers
Michigan has been impressive this season. I didn’t expect Jim Harbaugh would be very competitive in his first season. Their defense has been the team’s best asset. Indiana needs this game in hopes of becoming bowl-eligible. Indiana has one of the most explosive offenses in the Big Ten, but their defense has killed them late in games. Indiana RB Jordan Howard is healthy and has kicked Indiana’s offense into the next gear. I’m taking the points.
Alabama at Mississippi State (+8) – My pick is Alabama Crimson Tide
MSU QB Dak Prescott has quietly become the best quarterback in the SEC over the last month. They haven’t played the best teams in the conference during this stretch, but his numbers are still worth noting. Alabama’s defense has been quieting the best players in the SEC each and every week. Prescott has been taking care of the ball really well, but he did throw three interceptions in last year’s game against Alabama. I’m taking Alabama to cover on the road.
Ohio State at Illinois (+17) – My pick is Ohio State Buckeyes
J.T. Barrett is expected to start this game after sitting out last week’s game after his DUI arrest. The Buckeyes need to win this game by a large margin to keep their spot in the College Football Playoff rankings. They haven’t been finishing strong in games and they need a complete game. I’m taking the Buckeyes to cover in Champaign.
Maryland at Michigan State (-15.5) – My pick is Maryland Terrapins
Michigan State suffered their first loss due to a last-minute blown call. They are one of the worst teams in college football against the spread. Maryland is one of the better teams in the Big Ten against the spread. They are only 2-7 outright, but the top teams in the Big Ten haven’t been winning by a large margin. I believe the trend will continue, so I’m taking the points.
Pittsburgh at Duke (-3) – My pick is Pittsburgh Panthers
Duke started out strong, but they are coming off a last-second loss to Miami and getting blown out by rival North Carolina. Pittsburgh is also coming off back-to-back losses, but they were in both games late. Pitt is a strong road road. They are 5-1 ATS in their last six road games. I’m taking the points and possibly throwing a few jellybeans on the Pitt moneyline.
Georgia at Auburn (-2) – My pick is Auburn Tigers
Georgia has missed Nick Chubb’s offensive output. They were finally able to score double-digits, but it was against Kentucky’s swiss cheese defense. Auburn’s defense isn’t very good, but they were able to stop Texas A&M last week. The Tigers are playing better at the right time. I’m taking Auburn to cover.
Florida at South Carolina (+8) – My pick is South Carolina Gamecocks
The Gamecocks are coming off back-to-back losses, but they won both against the spread. QB Perry Orth has been playing much better. Florida misses QB Will Grier, who was suspended for PEDs. QB Treon Harris isn’t move the ball as well. This line is a little too high, so I’m taking the points.
Texas at West Virginia (-8.5) – My pick is West Virginia Mountaineers
Texas is a horrible road team this year. In three road games, they are 0-3 and have been outscored 112-10. West Virginia has been a fairly strong home team this season. I just can’t put a single dime on Texas on the road.
Massachusetts at Eastern Michigan (+7) – My pick is Massachusetts Minutemen
This is when we pick a smaller conference game. Both of these teams are piss-poor, but I just can’t pass up a point spread that has Eastern Michigan as only a touchdown underdog. I’ve made a living betting against EMU in my career. I’m taking UMass in this one.
QUICK HITS
Kentucky at Vanderbilt (-3.5) – My pick is Kentucky
Kansas at TCU (-45) – My pick is TCU
Washington State at UCLA (-10) – My pick is Washington State
Oklahoma at Baylor (-3) – My pick is Baylor
Minnesota at Iowa (-11.5) – My pick is Minnesota
Tulsa at Cincinnati (-18) – My pick is Tulsa
Memphis at Houston (-7) – My pick is Memphis
Clemson at Syracuse (+28) – My pick is Syracuse
Miami (FL) at North Carolina (-13) – My pick is North Carolina
Wake Forest at Notre Dame (-27.5) – My pick is Wake Forest
Sweetbob’s college football picks against the spread record in previous seasons:
2013: 134-79-8
2014: 148-118-4
2015: 90-87-3
*These picks are for entertainment purposes
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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.