At some point you just have to sit back and laugh. That’s pretty much where we are after a month of picking college football games against the spread. You would seriously have to try really hard to do worse than we have to start the season.
We’ve got a little bit of a local flavor this week with multiple thoughts on the Sooners and Cowboys taking to the road for the first time in 2020.
| Friday Lock Results | ||
| Name | Last Week | Overall |
| Matt | 1-2 | 5-7 |
| Rich | 1-2 | 3-8 |
| Mark | 1-2 | 3-8 |
| Zack | 0-2-1 | 2-9-1 |
| Craig | 0-3 | 0-12 |
Craig
Texas A&M (+17.5) at Alabama | The Aggies opened their season with an ugly win over Vanderbilt last week. They did just enough to sneak away with the win. The offense needs to improve, but with a stout defense I believe they will give Bama some trouble.
Oklahoma State (-21.5) at Kansas | The Cowboys have not looked very impressive in either of their first two games. A matchup with Kansas in week 3 is the perfect game to get the ball rolling for the Pokes. I like OSU winning big this weekend.
Oklahoma (-7) at Iowa State | The Sooners dropped a game last week and I think they will bounce back in a big way on Saturday. The Cyclones have given OU some tough matchups in recent years, but I expect to see a focused Sooners team. Picking two Oklahoma teams is a terrible idea, but I’m 0-12 so what could go wrong?
Zack
TCU at Texas (-12.0) | Texas Tech nearly pulled off the upset against the Longhorns last week, so I think Texas will be much more focused this weekend against the Horned Frogs, who simply are not that good. Give me Texas by a couple of touchdowns.
Tulsa at UCF (-21.5) | The Golden Hurricane didn’t look good against Oklahoma State in their season opener, and they haven’t played a game since then several weeks ago. Give me UCF by a lot at home.
Oklahoma (-7.0) at Iowa State | This is a bit of a nightmare matchup for the Sooners. They were just embarrassed on their home field as 4-touchdown favorites, and now they have to head out on the road to take on the Cyclones in an annual matchup that has been decided by 10 points or fewer in the last 4 seasons. Still, I think Oklahoma bounces back with their biggest win in Ames since 2014.
Rich
TCU (+12) vs Texas | Last week, Max Duggan provided a boost offensively that the Horned Frogs were desperately searching for in the season opener. Moving forward, it’s hard to imagine the signal caller sitting out an entire half once again after throwing three touchdowns in a close game. Now against their next opponent, TCU must limit the big plays. Texas on the other hand needed to score two touchdowns in two minutes to force overtime before claiming a win. On paper, the Longhorns may be the superior team but on the field, I’m not convinced that’s the case.
Oklahoma State (-21) vs Kansas | Sticking with the Big 12, the defense of the Cowboys continues to impress. Clearly the strong suit of the team while Spencer Sanders nurses an injury, I’d expect it to be a long day for the Jayhawks from start to finish despite playing at home. If the offense can produce consistently with Shane Illingworth (I see no need for Sanders to return this week unless absolutely necessary) in the shotgun or pistol formation, this should be an easy win for the Pokes. #FamousLastWords
Clemson (-28) vs Virginia | Of all the teams currently playing, the Clemson Tigers appear to be the most polished. Simply having their way with opponents, this offense continues to hum along at a great clip with Trevor Lawrence hurling the ball. Looking at the other side of the equation, the Cavaliers have coughed the ball up three times in a win over Duke. Granted Virginia forced seven turnovers to help the cause. I don’t expect that to be the case this weekend as Clemson is an elite level program. Give me the Tigers to cover for a majority of their games this season!
Mark
Arkansas at Mississippi State (-18) | Arkansas had a surprising half time lead last week but I expect the Bulldogs to carry momentum from last week’s great win against LSU and win huge again this week.
Auburn at Georgia (-6.5) | Auburn is going to be a popular pick that a lot of people are going to take with the line this big when 2 top 10 teams are playing but not so fast Vegas I’m winning with you this time.
North Carolina (-14) at Boston College | Mack Brown has turned this program around and will score a lot in this game. After a couple weeks off, they should be ready to go.
Matt
South Carolina (+16.5) at Florida | I’m expecting a ton of offense in this one. The Gators win outright but I believe USC will keep it within 17 points.
Memphis (Pick) SMU | No point spread here, just a straight up pick for the winner. This will be a fun game but in the end the Ponies have just too much offensive firepower for the 25th ranked Tigers.
Vanderbilt (+21) vs. LSU | No, I don’t see the Tigers getting upset two weeks in a row. However, I do see the Commodores keeping it within 21 points.
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