Picks for 9/14/24
College Football
3:30 PM EST
Rotation # 141
West Virginia -1.5 over Pitt (loss)
Pitt got an opening day gift from the Bearcats as Cincinnati fell asleep up 21 points mid-way through the 3rd quarter. Credit Pitt for making a comeback, as many teams would have rolled over. WVU got rocked last week by a superior PSU team. Today’s backyard brawl will be enjoyable as Pitt is a new team this season. The Panthers have a new offensive coordinator, a new QB in Eli Holstein, a new running game, many new receivers, and new faces on the offensive line. West Virginia has a veteran staff led by Neal Brown. QB Garrett Greene and the running game returns. The Mountaineers have a veteran offensive line and will be better once they get the passing game going. The Mountaineers are better on defense and should get the road victory. Take West Virginia.
College Football
6:30 PM EST
Rotation # 167
Ole Miss -21 over Wake Forest (win)
I don’t like non-conference football because you never know if a coaching staff is looking to win big or get his young faces more reps, but I believe Ole Miss is the most complete college football team. The Rebels have a great coach in Lane Kiffin. Jaxson Dart is one of the most talented senior quarterbacks in football. The Rebels’ running game is excellent. The receiving group is gifted. The offensive line is massive and experienced. On defense, the Rebels have talent and depth in all three phases. Wake Forest was a 1-8 team in the ACC last year. I am sure they will be better this season, but there is a massive gap in talent between these teams. The Rebels score fast and won’t take their foot off the gas. It would be best to win convincingly against weaker opponents to move up in the polls. Take Ole Miss.
College Football
7:30 PM EST
Rotation # 187
UCF +2.5 over TCU (win)
Both teams are as evenly matched as possible, as they finished 3-6 in the BIG 12 last year. There are a lot of new parts on both teams, but I like the Knight’s QB and running game a lot better. KJ Jefferson has 40 starts under his belt and played the highest level of competition when he was in the SEC. RJ Harvey and Johnny Richardson are dynamic running backs, and the Knights brought in a lot of depth in the offseason. TCU QB Josh Hoover is decent, but I am not sold on their running game. Gus Malzahn is an outstanding, offensive-minded coach who will have his team ready to play on the road. Take UCF.
College Football
7:30 PM EST
Rotation # 189-190
Georgia/Kentucky Over 44.5 (loss)
Georgia is the #1 ranked team in the land. The Bulldogs are looking to steamroll their way to a victory against a Kentucky team that could be more confident after being embarrassed at home last weekend by South Carolina. Georgia is led by quarterback Carson Beck, who has the luxury of many great receivers. The Bulldogs’ offensive line is stacked with NFL talent that can protect the quarterback and open up big holes for the talented running game. A plus for Kentucky’s offense is their sizeable offensive line and upgraded depth. Brock Vandagriff has struggled at QB, but Mark Stoops must let him play through it. Georgia should score a lot today, meaning Kentucky kick returner Barion Brown will have many chances to return the ball. Brown is one of the better kick returners in the nation. Look for Georgia to score at will. I expect Kentucky to bounce back and get on the board enough to make it a high-scoring game. Take the Over.
College Football
8:00 PM EST
Rotation # 200
Virginia +1 over Maryland (loss)
Last season, Virginia got out to a 14-0 lead on the road and slowly let the game slip away. The Cavs had a forgettable 4th quarter to allow Maryland to blow them out. Maryland QB Taulia Tagovailoa graduated, and so have all their offensive linemen from a year ago. Maryland has so many new starters and transfers upfront. Virginia edges Kam Butler and Chico Bennett are looking to get multiple sacks. I like the Cavs defense better, and on offense, their passing game is more advanced. Maryland not being solid in the trenches will hurt them on the road this year. Crowd noise will cause false starts, and their inexperience will hurt the quarterback’s ability to find receivers and slow the running game down. At this point in the year, the Cavs are the better program. Take Virginia.