We made it to championship weekend!
College football is set for a huge weekend of games as teams make one final push to add a quality win to their resumes in hopes of impressing the selection committee and earning a spot in the playoff.
While our picks last week went a less-than-ideal 2-5, thanks to some late breakdowns and a few good ol’ fashioned bad bets, we’re still big winners so far on the year, sitting comfortably at 11-games above .500. So we’ll try and keep the streak rolling as the college football season wraps up and we begin planning our Bowl game calendars.
Below are our best bets for championship weekend.
LAST WEEK: 2-5 OVERALL: 51-40
USC (-3.5) over Stanford
This game is Friday, so be sure to get your bets in on time. USC beat down Stanford in the second game of their season, 42-24, and while I don't expect quite that degree of a blowout, I still think the Trojans have what it takes to pull this one out. It could be Sam Darnold's last career game in the Pac-12, and I expect him to put on a show.
Oklahoma (-7) over TCU
Baker Mayfield is the best player in college football, and I will be betting on him until he lets me down. The Sooners already handled TCU with relative ease just a few weeks ago, and with a spot in the playoff on the line, I don't expect Mayfield to let up one bit.
Georgia (+2.5) over Auburn
While it might not be clear from my first two picks in this column, I'm a firm believer that it is extremely difficult to beat the same team two times in one season. Opposing players are amped to come back and make you pay, opposing coaches have obsessed over game film to try and find flaws to exploit. There's a lot working against you. So while I think USC and Oklahoma can hold on to go 2-0 against their opponents just on sheer talent, I like Georgia to win this one out of spite.
They were the top-ranked team in the nation until their trip to Auburn, and on Saturday they'll want to show them why.
Clemson (-9.5) over Miami
The "Miami hasn't played anybody" argument fell apart when they walloped Notre Dame, only for their newfound spot in the top four to come crashing back to Earth with an embarrassing loss to Pittsburgh. Miami is a good team, but they really haven't played anybody like Clemson. Dabo has prepared his players for big games like this before, and will have them ready to go on Saturday. Look for the reigning champions to make a statement heading into the playoff.
Ohio State (-6.5) over Wisconsin
I love this undefeated Wisconsin team, but Ohio State is going to run away with this game. According to SportsInsights, 73% of bets are currently on the Badgers to take home the Big Ten title. Any time the public thinks they've found a secret underdog lock, it's usually best to lay it all on the favorite.
Memphis (+7) over UCF
UCF is one of the best football teams in the country and for my money should be included in the playoff for the performance they've put on this season. But Memphis has Anthony Miller, who is probably the best skill position player I have watched in college this year not named Saquon Barkley. Miller has 78 receptions on the year for 1,212 and 14 touchdowns. I think he alone could do enough to keep this game within a score. At the very least, watch this game to get a look at him and starting planning for how you're favorite pro team will trade for him at the draft.
Boise State (-8.5) over Fresno State
Hilariously enough, these two teams played just last week, with Fresno State beating the Broncos 28-17. Boise State is the heavy favorite in the rematch, and I have to take them in this spot. It's hard to imagine Fresno State getting up to beat a team it just beat literally six days ago, while the Boise players will still have the loss fresh in their minds, and be looking for revenge.
LAST WEEK: 2-5 OVERALL: 51-40
Now check out all of our best bets for Week 13 of the NFL season
NFL WEEK 13: Our official predictions for who wins this weekend