College Football Expert Picks: Who Will Feast After Thanksgiving?

A downsized, semi-Rivalry Week in college football kicks off on Friday, when Texas hosts Iowa State in a top-25 Big 12 clash. That same day, No. 2 Notre Dame will travel to Chapel Hill looking to keep rolling against Sam Howell and No. 19 North Carolina, and on Saturday, the Iron Bowl takes center stage when No. 1 Alabama hosts No. 22 Auburn in Tuscaloosa—without Nick Saban on the sideline.

After this week's release of the season's first College Football Playoff rankings, top teams have a better idea of where they stand in the committee's eyes. It adds an extra layer of importance to a game like LSU vs. Texas A&M, where the Aggies—who checked in at No. 5 in the CFP rankings—know they're currently next in line should anyone in the top four slip up.

Who has the edge in 11 of this weekend's key games? SI's picks are below.

Standings to Date:

Michael Shapiro: 81–38
Pat Forde: 79–40
Molly Geary: 79–40
Ross Dellenger: 77–42

[Editor's Note: After publish, the USC-Colorado game was canceled. The Buffaloes will now host San Diego State]

While these picks are for entertainment purposes only, SI recently launched our Premium Betting Membership backed by Vegas Insiders. SI Fantasy PRO members get real-time betting alerts whenever information comes in.