I had a very average week and finished 13-12. I don’t feel too bad about it, but wished the outcome was better. I made educated picks and if two or three of them went the other way, I’d feel pretty darn great.
Week 2 was full of large point spreads and honestly it was about 50/50 on the favorites covering in those games. I don’t think it will mess with point spreads too much going forward, but maybe Georgia should get knocked a few points for keeping the Nicholls State game close.
We at ‘America’s White Boy’ pick against the spread for all the big college football games on Saturday (September 17th, 2016) and a few Thursday games. We also picked five extra games as a bonus.
Ohio State at Oklahoma (+1) – My pick is Ohio State Buckeyes
Ohio State may not have many of the familiar faces that lead them to success the last few years, but they have looked every bit as good. Sure their opponents haven’t been up to their level yet, but that changes this week against Oklahoma. OU QB Baker Mayfield could be the best pro-style quarterback in college football. He can pick apart a secondary and has a Brett Favre ‘gunslinger’ type of style. He’s not afraid to throw into double teams since his arm is so strong. Ohio State will have their hands full, but I think they pull off the win on the road.
Michigan State at Notre Dame (-7.5) – My pick is Notre Dame Fighting Irish
The Irish bounced back after losing a heartbreaker in Texas. They defeated Nevada and their defense looked a lot better. Michigan State always gives Notre Dame trouble. This year’s Spartans don’t have the same fanfare after many of their upperclassmen graduated. State QB Tyler O’Connor has big shoes to fill. He has appeared in games in each of his first three years, but has less than a 100 career passing attempts going into this game. This line is a little tight, but I’m picking Notre Dame to cover at home.
USC at Stanford (-8.5) – My pick is Stanford Cardinal
Stanford has beaten USC by double-digits the last two times they’ve faced each other…and those games were in Los Angeles. Stanford had last week off while USC destroyed Utah State after getting demolished by Alabama in Week 1. Stanford RB Christian McCaffrey will be over half of Stanford’s offense. He should have a nice day against a rather average USC defense.
Texas at California (+8) – My pick is Texas Longhorns
Texas appears to have figured out their issues from a year ago on both offense and defense. They looked great against Notre Dame and then smoked UTEP last week. I’m a little shy to boast about Texas too much since Cal’s offense is potent. The reason I believe Texas will cover is because Cal’s defense is well below average.
Georgia at Missouri (+7) – My pick is Missouri Tigers
I don’t have my finger on the pulse of Georgia right now. I thought they would be a lot better than they’ve looked in their games against North Carolina and Nicholls State. I’m not convinced that Georgia RB Nick Chubb is even 60% right now after coming back from last year’s knee surgery. Missouri is an average SEC team right now. Mizzou QB Drew Lock didn’t have a good freshman season, but he hasn’t thrown an interception yet this year. If he avoids his first pick this Saturday, Mizzou will hang in this game. I’m taking the points.
Texas A&M at Auburn (-3.5) – My pick is Texas A&M Aggies
A&M smoked Prairie View A&M 67-0 last week. They might as well played a middle school football team, so forget everything about that game…it means nothing. A&M is a borderline bowl team and will probably get there since they have teams like UT-San Antonio and New Mexico State left on their schedule. I still don’t think Auburn is a bowl team and it would take a lot for me to think so. They looked great against Arkansas State, but the Red Wolves have been a doormat so far this season. I have no faith in Auburn covering against A&M. I’m taking the points.
Mississippi State at LSU (-14) – My pick is Mississippi State Bulldogs
This game is a no-brainer for me right now. LSU choked against Wisconsin and didn’t look great against Jacksonville State. They are 0-2 ATS and somehow still 14-point favorites against an SEC team. I realize MSU doesn’t leap off the page, but I’m not touching LSU right now. I’m taking the points.
Boston College at Virginia Tech (-6) – My pick is Virginia Tech Hokies
Virginia Tech lost in front of the most fans to ever watch a football game last Saturday. They started off great, but Tennessee came back and lapped them (they played at a racetrack, so this was an attempt at humor). I’m not a fan of Boston College. Their defense is solid, but I have little to no confidence in their offense against a top-75 team. I have to go with the Hokies to cover at home.
Vanderbilt at Georgia Tech (-7) – My pick is Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets
Vandy doesn’t normally face many wacky offenses during the regular season. Georgia Tech runs a triple-option rushing attack that gives teams fits and is extremely hard to practice against. I love picking Georgia Tech when they face a non-conference opponent. They usually come in with an advantage. They face offenses like Vandy’s every week, they don’t need to focus on anything extra this week. I love the Yellow Jackets to cover here.
Arkansas State at Utah State (-9) – My pick is Utah State Aggies
This is when we pick a game with smaller conference teams. Keep a close eye on this game since Utah State RB Devante Mays is dealing with a knee injury. He could run wild over Arkansas State’s defense. I think they easily cover if he plays. I’m taking the cover at the moment.
QUICK HITS
Houston at Cincinnati (-7.5) – My pick is Houston
Baylor at Rice (+31) – My pick is Baylor
Duke at Northwestern (-4) – My pick is Duke
UCLA at BYU (+3) – My pick is UCLA
Akron at Marshall (-17) – My pick is Marshall
New Mexico at Rutgers (-5.5) – My pick is Rutgers
Ohio at Tennessee (-27.5) – My pick is Ohio
Miami (FL) at Appalachian State (+3.5) – My pick is Miami (FL)
South Florida at Syracuse (+14.5) – My pick is South Florida
Alabama at Ole Miss (+11) – My pick is Alabama
BONUS PICKS!
Arizona State at UT-San Antonio (+19.5) – My pick is Arizona State
Colorado at Michigan (-20.5) – My pick is Michigan
San Diego State at Northern Illinois (+10.5) – My pick is San Diego State
Western Michigan at Illinois (+3) – My pick is Western Michigan
East Carolina at South Carolina (-3) – My pick is East Carolina
Sweetbob’s college football picks against the spread record in previous seasons:
2013: 134-79-8
2014: 148-118-4
2015: 149-118-3
2016: 26-23-1
*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.