I went 3-1 against the spread in the first round of the College Football Playoff.

The first-round of the College Football Playoff had a pair of fun outings, and two games that were out-of-hand against non-Power Four teams. We won’t have those kind of talent disparities going forward, since all eight teams are battle-tested.

Can the Big Ten have a big showing in the second round?

We at ‘America’s White Boy’ pick every college football game in the second round of the College Football Playoff the 2025-26 NCAA Football season (December 31st & January 1st).

Miami (FL) Hurricanes vs Ohio State Buckeyes (-9.5) – My pick is Ohio State Buckeyes -9.5

The Miami Hurricanes (11-2, 8-5 ATS) are coming off a 10-3 road win against Texas A&M in the first round of the College Football Playoff. It was a win against the +3 spread.

The Ohio State Buckeyes (12-1, 10-2-1 ATS) are coming off a 13-10 home loss to Indiana in the Big Ten Championship Game. It was a loss against the -3 betting line.

Miami is a talented team, and their quarterback has big game experience, but Ohio State is arguably the second-best team in the nation. They have a chip on their shoulder after a close loss in the Big Ten Championship game. I think Ohio State’s secondary will force Miami QB Carson Beck into some bad throws. I’m taking the Buckeyes to cover in the Cotton Bowl.

Oregon Ducks vs Texas Tech Red Raiders (+2.5) – My pick is Texas Tech Red Raiders +2.5

The Oregon Ducks (12-1, 7-5-1 ATS) are coming off a 51-34 home win over James Madison in the first round of the College Football Playoff. They failed to cover the -20.5 spread.

The Texas Tech Red Raiders (12-1, 11-2 ATS) are coming off a 34-7 home win over BYU in the Big 12 Championship game. They covered the -13.5 spread.

I’ve been riding Texas Tech QB Behren Morton all season. Their lone outright loss was when he was out injured. He is smart with the ball and has been a great leader on offense. Oddly, the reason Texas Tech is in the College Football Playoff is their defense. They haven’t given up double-digit points since the first day of November. Oregon is a good team, but I don’t like their chances against the Red Raiders. I’m taking the points in this game at the Orange Bowl.

Alabama Crimson Tide vs Indiana Hoosiers (-7) – My pick is Alabama Crimson Tide +7

The Alabama Crimson Tide (11-3, 8-4-2 ATS) are coming off a 34-24 road win over Oklahoma in the first round of the College Football Playoff. They also won against the +2.5 spread.

The Indiana Hoosiers (13-0, 8-5 ATS) are coming off a 13-10 road win over Ohio State in the Big Ten Championship Game. They also won against the +3 spread.

I’ve been saying that Indiana is the best team in the nation since Halloween, or earlier. They had a weak schedule, so they needed the win against Ohio State for some legitimacy. They won the close game and both sides of the ball settled down in the second-half to play smart football. I could see the Hoosiers get the yips in the first quarter and will need to fight their way back. I like Indiana outright, but it wouldn’t surprise me if the Hoosiers win within a score, so give me the points in the Rose Bowl.

Mississippi Rebels vs Georgia Bulldogs (-6.5) – My pick is Ole Miss Rebels +6.5

The Ole Miss Rebels (12-1, 8-4-1 ATS) are coming off a 41-10 home win over Tulane in the first round of the College Football Playoff. They also covered the -16.5 spread in that game.

The Georgia Bulldogs (12-1, 6-6-1 ATS) are coming off a 28-7 win over Alabama in the SEC Championship game. They also covered the -1 spread in the game.

I’ve been on the Ole Miss bandwagon earlier in QB Trinidad Chambliss’s tenure as the starting quarterback. In their earlier meeting, Ole Miss had a 35-26 lead over Georgia going into the fourth quarter, but Georgia scored 17 unanswered points to win 43-35. Georgia QB Gunner Stockton threw four touchdowns with no interceptions in the win. The Rebels will need to get Chambliss some open lanes to take off, or separation in the second-level for their receivers. It will be a tough task, but it wouldn’t surprise me if Ole Miss wins outright, so I’m taking the points in the Sugar Bowl.

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: 196-145-6
2017: 183-159-13
2018: 177-157-6
2019: 187-141-8
2020: 170-160-5
2021: 167-151-8
2022: 185-150-5
2023: 155-144-10
2024: 183-164-11
2025: 180-155-4

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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 X at @Sweetbob