I went 12-11-2 after some big upsets made for a tense afternoon. I was pretty happy to just end up around .500 after some of my bad beats.
I don’t expect weather to be an issue this weekend. Hurricane Matthew screwed up a few games last week and outright cancelled LSU/Florida.
There are a few key games in the Big Ten and SEC, but it’s a pretty average slate of games this weekend. There are a lot of top conference teams playing conference basement dwellers. It always seems like crazy things happen when there’s a bunch of “ho-hum” games.
We at ‘America’s White Boy’ pick against the spread for all the big college football games on Saturday (October 15th, 2016) and a few Thursday games. We also pick five extra games as a bonus.
UCLA at Washington State (-4) – My pick is Washington State Cougars
Washington State’s season didn’t start off very well. They lost at home against Eastern Washington and then on the road at Boise State. You could have written them off, but they have beaten Oregon and Stanford pretty easily the last two weeks. As much as I love UCLA QB Josh Rosen, WSU QB Luke Falk is making me lust a little. I think the Cougars are going to do well the rest of the way and cover at home.
Ohio State at Wisconsin (+10) – My pick is Ohio State Buckeyes
Ohio State has the best offense in the Big Ten, but Wisconsin’s defense is pretty damn good. I just worry about Wisconsin’s ability to score. The Badgers haven’t exactly been lighting up the scoreboard. If Ohio State can force a few turnovers, they should be able to cover in a hostile environment in Madison.
Stanford at Notre Dame (-3) – My pick is Notre Dame Fighting Irish
Oh man, both of these teams need a win right now. Stanford were destroyed by both teams from Washington in back-to-back weeks. They don’t have a very good quarterback situation. If they can’t get the ball in the hands of RB Christian McCaffrey, they are in trouble. McCaffrey could even miss the game. Notre Dame played in a lake last week thanks to the hurricane and lost to NC State. Throw out the outcome of that game due to the ridiculous playing conditions. If Notre Dame scores a couple touchdowns, they should be able to cover this one.
Ole Miss at Arkansas (+7.5) – My pick is Arkansas Razorbacks
Ole Miss is a solid team, but I like that extra half-point in this contest. Arkansas has a sneaky way of staying in games. Their run defense could be a little better, but Ole Miss has always had trouble with Arkansas (1-6-1 ATS the last eight meetings). The Razorbacks are a decent home team and I think they will keep this one tight. I’m taking the points.
Alabama at Tennessee (+13) – My pick is Tennessee Volunteers
Tennessee almost won another game they had no chance of winning. They scored 14 straight points later and forced overtime. If the Vols can show up in the first half, they would be dangerous. Alabama is a great team, so the Vols do need to play a complete game. I think Tennessee can sneak a backdoor cover late, so I’m taking the points.
North Carolina at Miami (-7.5) – My pick is North Carolina Tar Heels
I like Miami QB Brad Kaaya, but I don’t think he can carry their offense to cover this point spread. UNC QB Mitch Trubisky was coming off a banner game against Florida State, but was nearly blanked last week against Virginia Tech. Miami’s defense isn’t as good as the Hokies, so he should have a solid game. Miami will probably win, but I’m taking the points.
Nebraska at Indiana (+3) – My pick is Nebraska Cornhuskers
I think this game will mirror Indiana’s game with Ohio State last week. Indiana was competitive, but in the end, they couldn’t stop the run. Nebraska has a lot of guys who can do damage on the ground. Nebraska QB Tommy Armstrong Jr. is dealing with an ankle injury, but he is going to play. I think I have to go with Nebraska to cover on the road.
Pittsburgh at Virginia (+3) – My pick is Pitt Panthers
Virginia has pulled off a couple upsets the last two weeks. They easily beat Central Michigan and Duke, and the Cavaliers are 3-1-1 ATS this year. Pitt hasn’t had the same kind of luck ATS (1-5), but I think Pitt is undervalued in this game. Virginia is clearly riding the high of two upset wins. They will fall this week, so give me Pitt to cover.
West Virginia at Texas Tech (-1) – My pick is West Virginia Mountaineers
Both teams have potent offenses, but West Virginia has a little more meat on the bone on defense. These teams are familiar with each other and the Mountaineers come into this game with back-to-back wins in their last two meetings. I think WVU will pull out the win.
Central Michigan at Northern Illinois (+2.5) – My pick is Central Michigan Chippewas
This is when we pick a game with smaller conference teams. I should rename this section, “Bobby picks a directional Michigan school.” Central Michigan is having a pretty good year so far, but are being overshadowed by undefeated Western Michigan. They should be able to cover against an average Northern Illinois squad.
QUICK HITS
Mississippi State at BYU (-7.5) – My pick is BYU
Duke at Louisville (-35) – My pick is Duke
UNLV at Hawaii (-9) – My pick is Hawaii
Southern Miss at LSU (-25) – My pick is Southern Miss
Temple at Central Florida (-3.5) – My pick is Temple
Memphis at Tulane (+11.5) – My pick is Memphis
Iowa at Purdue (+12.5) – My pick is Iowa
Georgia Southern at Georgia Tech (-10.5) – My pick is Georgia Tech
Western Kentucky at Middle Tennessee (-2.5) – My pick is Middle Tennessee
New Mexico at Air Force (-14) – My pick is New Mexico
BONUS PICKS!
Nevada at San Jose State (-2.5) – My pick is San Jose State
Florida Atlantic at Marshall (-10.5) – My pick is Marshall
Kansas State at Oklahoma (-10.5) – My pick is Kansas State
Virginia Tech at Syracuse (+19.5) – My pick is Syracuse
Utah at Oregon State (+9.5) – My pick is Utah
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: 69-53-3
*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.