At some point you just gotta sit back and laugh. Last weekend was that point for us as we collectively went 0-15 in what is surly our worst week ever in the history of Friday Locks.
Oh well. No where but up from here, right?
| Friday Lock Results | ||
| Name | Last Week | Overall |
| Matt | 0-3 | 2-4 |
| Zack | 0-3 | 2-4 |
| Mark | 0-3 | 1-5 |
| Rich | 0-3 | 1-5 |
| Craig | 0-3 | 0-6 |
Mark
Tulsa at Oklahoma State -22.5 | After a slow start last season for the Cowboys against Tulsa, they shut out the Golden Hurricanes in the 2nd half resulting in a 19 point win. I expect this more experienced Cowboys team to make quick work of Tulsa. Look for Chuba to have huge numbers again this year.
Appalachian State -4.5 at Marshall | Marshall is coming off a big win against Eastern Kentucky but now they have to face the Sun Belt Conference and it’s not going to end well for them.
UCF -7.5 at Georgia Tech | Georgia Tech had a huge win last week against a perpetually overrated Florida State team so everybody is high on them but not so fast my friend. This week they play the best team in Florida, UCF is the real deal and Josh Heupel will have this team ready to play.
Rich
Louisville (-2.4) vs Miami | This is a highly anticipated match-up as it pairs two ranked opponents against one other. While Miami will field D’Eriq King once again, the program required two late scores to cover the spread last time out. Against a potent Cardinals offense, I’m not sure the Canes defense has the ability to consistently stop the likes of Tutu Atwell, Dez Fitzpatrick, and Braden Smith as a receiving trio. With such a narrow margin, a field goal by Louisville covers here and I certainly like the odds.
Oklahoma State (-22.5) vs Tulsa | Last year, the Golden Hurricane relied upon two turnovers to keep the game interesting for a half. However, the lack of practice time and starting experience on the defensive side of the ball remain major question marks hovering over the program. On the other side, OSU has one of the most potent offenses on paper and savvy defense from front to back. This one seems like a no brainer this week.
UCF (-7.5) vs Georgia Tech | In the opener, GT failed to impress on the offensive side of the ball putting up just 16 points while Jeff Sims threw two interceptions. Gaining momentum year after year, UCF now finds themselves in the rankings providing a stiff challenge to any Power 5 player. If the Yellow Jackets continue to turn the ball over a high rate, this one could easily slip away. At the opposite end of the equation, UCF is looking for it’s first win over Georgia Tech. Scoring 30+ points routinely helps the cause for sure. With two young quarterbacks taking the field, this one tips in favor of the Knights in my opinion.
Zack
Miami at Louisville (-2.5) | These teams are pretty evenly matched, so I’m giving the Cardinals the home field advantage for the win. I’ll take Louisville by at least a field goal.
Tulsa at Oklahoma State (-22.5) | I’m not a big fan of picking my own team when it comes to Friday locks, but I’m feeling pretty optimistic about this one. The Cowboys have perhaps their best team in nearly a decade, while the Golden Hurricane is likely preparing for yet another losing season. Give me Oklahoma State by at least 4 touchdowns.
Louisiana (-16.0) at Georgia State | I severely underestimated the Ragin’ Cajuns last week against Iowa State, so I won’t be doing that again. Georgia State should expect to get dominated on their own field in this one. Louisiana by at least 3 touchdowns.
Craig
Oklahoma State (-22.5) vs. Tulsa | I really do believe the Cowboys pose a threat to the entire Big 12 this year. They’ll show just how good they are as they roll over the Golden Hurricane on Saturday. I expect a big season opener from Chuba Hubbard.
Louisiana (-17) at Georgia State | I picked against the Rajin’ Cajuns last week and they proved me wrong. They’ll be playing as a ranked team for the first time since 1943, and I’ve got to go with them winning big on the road over a less talented Georgia State team.
Louisville (-2.5) vs. Miami | This will most likely be the best matchup of the weekend, and I’ll take Louisville to come out on top. Miami lost a lot of talent on the defensive side of the ball, and that will give the slight advantage to the Cardinals.
Matt
UCF (-7.5) at Georgia Tech | The Yellow Jackets scored a big upset last week but I’m not looking at them going on a winning streak anytime soon. Give me UCF to cover here.
Notre Dame (-26) vs. South Florida | The Irish burned me on a large spread last week but here I am again. Ian Book gets a lot of love for being the Notre Dame frontman but Kyren Williams is the best player on the team. He racked up 205 all-purpose yards, and two scores, last week and should have another huge outing again this week.
Appalachian State (-4.5) at Marshall | Freshman quarterback Grant Wells had a fantastic debut for the Thundering Herd but the Mountaineers are going to counter with explosive offensive weapons of their own in receiver Thomas Hennigan and running back Marcus Williams.
Follow us on Twitter: @SportsHeartland