Picks for 12/21/24
Rotation # 213
SMU +8 over Penn State (loss)
Ohio State’s loss on the year’s final day allowed Penn State to backdoor into the BIG 10 Championship Game, where they came up short against Oregon. SMU was on the losing end of their ACC Title game, falling short against Clemson. Penn State head coach James Franklin has not been a big game coach but has done a great job with new coordinators this season. Drew Allar has impressed, but the offense might slow down without Anthony Donkoh on the offensive line. SMU is in the same boat as Indiana, as they played a weak schedule this year. We will find out today if they are a product of easy opponents. One thing I like about SMU is their raw speed. Kevin Jennings is a dual-threat quarterback who has the luxury of handing the ball off to Brashard Smith and has a host of targets to throw to. The Mustangs are a veteran defense and can stay in this game by being active in the trenches. Penn State is glad the game is at home but would love for the start time to be a little later in the day. It will be a cold and windy afternoon that might slow down both offenses. Look for the Mustangs to keep it close. Take SMU.
4:00 PM EST
Rotation # 216
Texas -13.5 over Clemson (win)
Clemson is a program that is used for big-time football games. Dabo Sweeny is an elite coach who turned water into wine this year. The Tigers didn’t look good enough to win the ACC this year, but they found a way to win their conference. Texas has so much talent across the board. Quinn Ewers can heat up and put points on the board quickly. The Longhorns had the same five starters on the offensive line all season, which helped the offense run smoothly. The Longhorn defense is why they are a big favorite in this contest. Texas shuts teams running game down, but they are tops in the country at stopping the pass. The Longhorns are stacked at all three levels on defense and will look to make life hard for Cade Klubnik. Look for the Longhorns to create turnovers, which will turn into points. Take Texas.
8:00 PM EST
Rotation # 218
Ohio State -7 over Tennessee (win)