Gould Standard Pick Six: Week 5
What’s that definition of insanity? Picking college football games against-the-spread week after week and expecting a different result?
Well, then, let’s get crazy.
There are a lot of befuddling games this week. . . games where my head says Purdue but my heart says Nebraska. Where my head says Duke but my heart says Virginia Tech. Where my head says Ohio State but my heart says Penn State. Where my heart says Notre Dame but my head says Stanford. Where my heart says Fresno State but my head says, ``Are you nuts? It’s a 9:30 p.m. kickoff.’’
Gun to my head: Purdue, Duke, Ohio State, Stanford.
On the record, picks against the spread. Well, here they are. . .
THE GAMES
(Central Flyover Time)
West Virginia minus-3½ at Texas Tech, 11 a.m., ESPN2
Indiana minus-17 at Rutgers, 11 a.m., BTN
Syracuse plus-25 at Clemson, 11 a.m., ABC
Tennessee plus-31½ at Georgia, 2:30 p.m., CBS
Michigan minus-14 at Northwestern, 3:30 p.m., FOX
Toledo plus-7½ at Fresno State, 9:30 p.m., ESPNU
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THE PICKS
West Virginia minus-3½ at Texas Tech, 11 a.m., ESPN2
Will Grier goes west in his Heisman Trophy quest. And guides his West Virginia comrades to a motherlode of points in this old-fashioned shootout.
The Pick: West Virginia
The Score: Mountaineers, 41-35
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Indiana minus-17 at Rutgers, 11 a.m., BTN
Indiana likes to put up points and is pretty good at it. I don’t know what Rutgers likes.
The Pick: Indiana
The Score: IU, 49-17
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Syracuse plus-25 at Clemson, 11 a.m., ABC
Hmm. A 4-0 Syracuse team that pulled off a shocking upset a year ago is getting 25 points? I’m a sucker for that. And I think Kelly Bryant’s transfer after losing the starting QB job to Trevor Lawrence will be a distraction for Clemson.
The Pick: Syracuse
The Score: Clemson, 42-20
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Tennessee plus-31½ at Georgia, 2:30 p.m., CBS
Vols have a long way to go. Georgia has arrived. And after sharpening their canines at feisty Missouri, the Dawgs figure to be in the mood for a feast.
The Pick: Georgia
The Score: Dawgs, 52-10
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Michigan minus-14 at Northwestern, 3:30 p.m., FOX
It pains me to say Northwestern won’t be more competitive. But they’ve been battling O line injuries. Their surgically-repaired QB is on a pitch count. And their running back just retired due to a congenital spinal condition. Oh, and Michigan is really on a roll.
The Pick: Michigan
The Score: MgoBlue, 41-17
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Toledo plus-7½ at Fresno State, 9:30 p.m., ESPNU
I know. You’re thinking Non-Conference Mountain West After Dark? Really? Here’s the thing. I once covered an Illinois-at-Fresno beer garden of a night game. Toledo’s good but this is a tough place to play. And the Bulldogs owe me one for their weak performance at Minnesota.
The Pick: Fresno State
The Score: Bulldogs, 31-21
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LAST WEEK: 3-4-1
SEASON: 11-15-1[/membership]