It’s time for The Boys favorite day of the week. It’s Week 10 college football picks rolling in hot for a star-studded weekend of matchups. A little housekeeping through 10 weeks of picks, we are 29-29 and 1 push while our celebrity picker is 2-0. This week we’re bringing a new celebrity picker into the fold, Bryden Reed, former William and Mary stud D-lineman. Buddy knows the game and will carry us to victory this week. We’ve been cold lately boys, let’s fix that this week.
Illinois got their brakes beaten off by Oregon last week but I still stand by the Fightin Illini. Luke Altmeyer is a very good quarterback and that's half the battle to winning college games. This Minnesota squad is respectable, rebounding from a tough start to win three games in a row now. I just think Illinois has the better quarterback and the more talented roster overall and that typically results in a victory. At worst I think we’ll get a 3-point loss push.
Best Bet: Illinois +3
This one scares me a little bit but I think we’ll either blow past this line or it won't be close. No one has ever accused me of being afraid to roll the dice so let's do it. Army is averaging…*checks notes* 43.4 points per game this year! That covers the line by themselves. This isn't your grandpa’s Army team, this new-age team is actually throwing the ball and clearly scoring boatloads of points. I think this line will come down to Air Force being able to contribute towards the over. If they can score a touchdown or two this line covers easily.
Best Bet: O40.5
I'm FULLY on board the Commodores bandwagon. QB Diego Pavia is the truth who has held his own against Texas (3-point loss) and Alabama (5-point win). If you think this laughably bad Auburn team is going to win by more than a touchdown when Texas couldn't even do that, then you're smoking something illegal. Gimme Vandy to cover the spread at minimum. If you feel bold, hammer the moneyline.
Best Bet: Vanderbilt +8
If you want to dig into Michigan’s downfall, check out our earlier article about the Michigan/Dave Portnoy debacle on the Today is America website under the sports section. To sum it up, Michigan is in quarterback purgatory and for this game, they're turning back to walk-on Davis Warren, who had the world-beating performance against Arkansas St to the tune of 122 yards and 3 INT’s. That ain’t gonna get done against a great Oregon team that just got done beating a good Illinois team 38-9. Now listen, I’ll be the first to admit that I have been burned lately by home favorites beating better teams (looking at you, Rams vs Vikings and Texans vs Jets). But that's the NFL (No Fun League) and this is college football, the greatest sport in the world. Michigan got their doors blown off by Texas at home and I think the same exact thing will happen this week with Oregon. Gimme the Ducks in a blowout.
Best Bet: Oregon +14.5
This is another one that scares me but to get out of this cold streak we’re on, you gotta take chances on teams you like. Saying I like Pitt is an understatement, I LOVE Pitt. I genuinely think Pitt is the best team in the ACC and a future CFP participant. First, though they'll have to get through a talented SMU team on the road. Pitt is also dealing with a handful of injuries, most importantly to QB Eli Holstein who reports to be a game-time decision. If he goes then I feel very confident about this one. At worst like with the Illinois pick, I think we're looking at a worst-case scenario of Pitt losing by 7. I just don't see a world in which SMU blows the doors off of this undefeated Pitt team.
Best Bet: Pitt +7
Iowa’s been a confusing team this year. One week they look like world-beaters and the next they're getting their butts whooped by a bad MSU team. The common denominator I see is that Iowa playing at home versus on the road is a world’s difference. They’ll welcome Wisconsin to Iowa City this weekend and I think the outcome should be pretty safe, especially with this favorable line. Gimme Iowa at home to keep the trend alive.
Best Bet: Iowa -2
Ohio State (-3) vs. Penn State
The crux of this pick is the fact that Penn State QB Drew Allar is banged up and a game-time decision. I don't care where the game is at or who’s on either team, if the QB that got you here isn't healthy, it's gonna be hard to throw a new guy in there and say “Go beat Ohio State”. They’re both good teams and I don't see a blowout happening but I just find it hard to see a backup QB leading Penn State over a great Ohio State team. Even if Allar plays, he's been publicly struggling with a knee injury and at best will play this game with one leg hurt. Not ideal against one of the best teams in the country. I think Ohio State wins by a touchdown.
Best Bet: Ohio State -3
