The final September games for college football. While I hate to see summer go, I love when it leaves. That’s not a pun about butts, that’s a pun about fall. Fall is the best season of them all. Sweater weather, Halloween, Thanksgiving, and most importantly – football. Just when you thought it couldn’t get better after falling into the Saturday/Sunday grove for the past month, it does. It gets so much better. And as humans, we must adapt. I can’t settle for totals like last week only going 3-2 and losing my premium member tickle teaser. Did I win you money? Yes. Were your kids able to go to bed belly’s full this week? Yes. But they’re going to need warmth with the chilly nights coming in the next couple of weeks. Let’s do better and make sure you can pay the electric bill too.
Rutgers @ (20) Michigan: Michigan -27.5
The Wolverines have been cancelled by everyone in college football. This is exactly why I think they’re going to come out and absolutely trounce a Rutgers squad that lost to Iowa by 30. Harbaugh won’t let his kids give up. They may go up by 40 before the half. Shea-magic will be alive and well in Ann Arbor at high noon. I just don’t see a world where they cover here, and if they don’t, I will cancel Michigan too.
Final Score: Michigan 45, Rutgers 10
(18) Virginia @ (10) Notre Dame: Virginia +10.5
I brought this up two weeks ago when Virginia played Florida State, they’ve had their sights on this Notre Dame game for probably three years. That’s why they haven’t been able to dominate teams early this season and just get little leads against decent squads to hang their hats on. They’ve been too distracted preparing for this game. That’s why you take the points today. I think Notre Dame fans, for some reason, thought last week’s 6-point loss to Georgia was so much of a moral victory that they basically won? I don’t get that at all. No excuses. I think they are over-looking a Virginia team who is going to surprise a lot of people in South Bend today. The Irish will sneak out with the ‘W’ for the USC narrative in two weeks, but the Cavaliers won’t go down without a fight.
Final Score: Notre Dame 24, Virginia 17
Mississippi State @ (7) Auburn: Auburn -9.5
Auburn by far has the best resume of any college football team this season with road game victories against Oregon and Texas A&M. While Mississippi State has also shown some upside from their early season suspensions, on the road in Jordan-Hare Stadium, I don’t like their chances. Bo Nix continues to build week in and week out, getting in a solid rhythm earlier and earlier in match-ups. The lines have been outstanding. Plus, Auburn has Florida next week in what is set to be probably one of the best match-ups of the season thus far. War Eagle today.
Final Score: Auburn 32, Mississippi State 21
(24) Kansas State @ Oklahoma State: Over 60
Kansas State is averaging 44 points a game this season, their lowest total coming in a road victory against Mississippi State (30 points). Oklahoma State is averaging 44.5 points a game with their lowest total also coming in at 30 points. So, you’re telling me I should take the lowest total points scored this season in any one game from both of these offenses and get what the O/U is set at today? Call me crazy, but I think you have a better shot at getting stuck by lighting then to have both offenses break their season lows in the same game. I've done the math, take the over.
Final Score: Oklahoma State 38, Kansas State 32
(5) Ohio State @ Nebraska: Home Team Total Points – Nebraska Under 24.5
This is the first time I’m featuring a pick like this in the digest, but when I saw it, I couldn’t take my eyes off it. Nebraska hasn’t played one team this season, and the one ‘team’ (Colorado – shout out to my dude Laviska Shenault Jr.) they did play, they lost. That means this offense hasn’t seen one legit defense yet. The highest point total their offense has been able to net was 44 against Northern Illinois. You have to divide that in half at best for their first match-up against an actual defense. Not to mention, Ohio State absolutely ruins not just individual teams, but like whole populations of people. They bring the hammer everywhere they go and they do not stop until the clock hits 00:00. That will not change today.
Final Score: Ohio State 45, Nebraska 17
Running Record: (11-7-2)