Blog

NOON EST
Rotation #260
Michigan +16.5 over Alabama (win)
I don’t like Michigan’s offense much, but their defense is rock solid. Alabama QB Jalen Milroe is the better of the two quarterbacks, but how much does Alabama care about this game? Both teams have a lot of opt-outs and transfers, so it’s hard to get a read on how serious they are about competing. Michigan running back Kalel Mulligans will look to have a big day on the ground. Davis Warren isn’t the best QB in the world, but he should be able to take advantage of a thin Alabama secondary. The Wolverines are coming off a monster win against Ohio State and will play well enough to keep this dull contest close. Take Michigan.

College Football
2:00 PM EST
Rotation #262
Washington -1 over Louisville (loss)
Louisville is the complete football team, but I don’t know how trustful I am of QB Bailey Harrison, who has only thrown a handful of passes this year and isn’t mobile with his feet. The Cardinals have so many transfers and opt-outs at the receiver position. Washington had a long fall from the top where, just a year ago, they were playing for the National Championship Game. The Huskies were in total rebuild mode as their talented players and coaches moved on. Washington’s new staff will be excited to play in this game. QB Demond Williams has looked decent in his limited work this year, and Jonah Coleman has been an asset on the ground. It will be interesting to see how Harrison does in his first start for the Cardinals combined with not being mobile. Take Washington.

College Football
3:00 PM EST
Rotation #264
Illinois +8.5 over South Carolina  (win)
It’s interesting to see Illinois ranked as such a large underdog. South Carolina is led by running back Raheim Sanders, who opted out of this game. LaNorris Sellers is a young, talented, dual-threat quarterback, but it won’t be easy today without much talent behind him. The Gamecocks will have a new offensive coordinator, as Dowell Loggains took a head coaching job. South Carolina is hoping for a playoff spot, so it’s hard to tell how excited they will be for this game. Illinois is without its top running back, but its depth is a little better. Both teams are talented on the defensive side, and hopefully, for once, we will get a competitive bowl game with tackling. Take Illinois.

College Football
3:30 PM EST
Rotation #26
Baylor -3.5 over LSU (loss)
QB Garrett Nussmeier should play for LSU, but his offensive line is young, and he isn’t very mobile. The Tigers are light at the tight-end position but should be full strength at running back. Baylor is led by running back Bryson Washington but is also deep with talent in that position. QB Sawyer Robertson has a lot of talented receivers at his disposal. The Bears will look to attack a Tigers secondary, missing a few key players that are transferring. The Bears can win in the trenches today. Baylor’s preseason projection was to finish at the bottom of the BIG-12, but after a six-game winning streak, they secured an excellent bowl matchup. It’s unclear if LSU feels the same way. Take Baylor.

College Football
7:30 PM EST
Rotation #267
Penn State -11 over Boise State (win)
The college football 12-team playoff system is in uncharted waters. It’s also hard to predict just how talented a small conference school like Boise is in the age of NIL money. The cream of the crop talent plays in the big conferences. It’s no secret that Broncos running back Ashton Jeanty is a once-in-a-blue-moon talent, but football is a team game. Oregon was a common opponent of each team this season. Boise hung in the game on the road in Eugene. I don’t know if you can chalk that up to early-season jitters for the Ducks or if Boise is that good. It’s tough to get an accurate reading on a team that played lousy competition in the Mountain West. Penn State QB Drew Allar has thrown many touchdowns in his career, and the Penn State defense wouldn’t allow many points if they played a Mountain West schedule. The only reservation I have about taking the Nittany Lions is coach James Franklin has been historically bad in big games. Last week, Franklin put on a masterpiece against SMU so that he could be turning the corner with this program. Boise is a great team, but the bigger, stronger, and faster talent at the reserve level in the BIG 10 is more extraordinary than most starters in the Mountain West. Take Penn State.