College Football Picks August 30

[SanchezMVP2009]

Buffalo vs Rutgers (16)
Rutgers will win in a laugher.

Murray State vs Louisville (10)
No chance for Murray State.

LSU (2) vs Mississippi State
LSU will win big.

Weber State vs Boise State (24)
Boise State will start the season showing the country that last year was not a fluke.

Utah vs Oregon State
I don't see Utah winning.

[Walter]

You should pick them against the spread.

[Matt McGuire]

Yeah, way to go out on a limb lol. Boise State over Weber State? UL over Murray State? What kind of predictions are these lol

[SanchezMVP2009]

The Bolded text are the teams I'm picking to win lol

[Matt McGuire]

Um, I don't think you need bold. It is pretty obvious who is going to win those games. My little sister would make the same picks.

[Walter]

The Bolded text are the teams I'm picking to win lol

Here's the more important question:

Does LSU beat Miss. St. by more than 18?

Does Rutgers beat Buffalo by more than 32?

Does Oregon State beat Utah by more than 7?

[Matt McGuire]

Utah can upset Oregon State. That wouldn't be a total shocker imo.

[swifty222]

Buffalo (+32.5) at Rutgers - I was as big of a fan of the Rutgers story last year as anyone was. They played football the right way, and they were very easy to cheer for. That being said, I wouldn't touch this game even if I was spending someone else's money. Rutgers had only two spreads over 16 points last season, and they failed to cover either one. The offense will be similar to last year, but the absence of Brian Leonard could have a real impact. Buffalo is bad (2-10 last year, but they were only beat by more than this spread twice last year, and they covered giant spreads against Auburn and Wisconsin. Rutgers could be the same team they were last year, or they could take a step back down to earth. Until we get a sense of which will be a case it makes no sense to mess with this spread.---------------------------------------------------------------------------
North Texas (+40) at Oklahoma - All things being equal, is Oklahoma 40 points better than North Texas? Probably. That's a lot of points, but Oklahoma is an elite program, and North Texas is about as far from elite as you can get. In most circumstances a case could be made for Oklahoma if you are comfortable with huge spreads. In this case, though, you have a team starting a redshirt freshman QB in Sam Bradford. Bradford has to make his debut without the safety blanket of Adrian Peterson, the best friend to Oklahoma quarterbacks the last few years, as the running back is now in the NFL. Even with a defense as overmatched as North Texas' will be, it's far from a sure thing that Oklahoma can score 40 points, never mind 40 more than their opponent. That doesn't mean, though, that North Texas is a worthwhile pick, because they are not at all good, and could very well lose by 60. This is a game that should be avoided.--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Troy (+23.5) at Arkansas - This is a case where the Heisman hype of Darren McFadden has possibly created a line that isn't at all attractive. Arkansas is unquestionably the better team, and will almost certainly win, but winning by more than three touchdowns may be a stretch. Troy is not a very well known program, but they are solid - they won the Sun Belt Conference last year, and they have a senior quarterback who is very accurate. This line is reminiscent of week two last season. Arkansas was clearly superior to Utah State, but the 27.5 points seemed like too much. The team looked solid on both sides of the ball as they won 20-0, but they didn't cover. The same possibility exists here, and that makes it a trap game worth avoiding in my eyes.
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Bowling Green (+14.5) at Minnesota - Why n the world would anyone want anything to do with a game like this? Sure, you have a major conference team against a mid-major, and the better conference is playing host, but you are also dealing with two truly terrible teams. Bowling Green will be lucky to win more than two games all year, and it will take a miracle for Minnesota to win a conference game. No matter which way you go in this game you are forced to rely on an awful, and awfully flawed, team to come through when you need them. I have much better things to throw my money away on.
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Nevada (+19) at Nebraska - Having one questionable quarterback situation in a game can lead to a betting opportunity. Having two in the same game means that you have a game to stay away from. Nevada was a great team to bet on last year - 11-2 ATS. This year, though, they have to make due without the competent leadership of QB Jeff Rowe. Sophomore Nick Graziano has all sorts of ability, and he looked comfortable in very limited action last season. He's never started, though, and he's never experienced the madness of football in Nebraska. There's no telling how he will react. Nebraska would be attractive, then, but they are breaking in a new quarterback of their own. Sam Keller, who transferred from Arizona State, is experienced and talented, but he hasn't played in a season and a half, and he has to get comfortable with a new team and a new offense. He will be fine by the time conference play rolls around, but will he be in form soon enough to outscore Nevada by three touchdowns? With so many questions, this is a game to skip.

[Walter]

So, which games do you like, Swifty?

I think Minnesota and Nebraska both cover. I can't see the Gophers not beating the spread. Bowling Green is just terrible.

[SanchezMVP2009]

I can't see the Gophers not beating the spread. Bowling Green is just terrible.

Didn't Bowling Green lose to TEMPLE, who has like a 20 game losing streak, last year

[Walter]

Didn't Bowling Green lose to TEMPLE, who has like a 20 game losing streak, last year

Check out the post above where I asked you if those teams can beat their opponents by a certain spread.

[SanchezMVP2009]

I don't really know about these spread thingies because I don't bet on games. Sorry man.

[Walter]

I don't really know about these spread thingies because I don't bet on games. Sorry man.

Simple:

Does LSU beat Miss. St. by more than 18?

Does Rutgers beat Buffalo by more than 32?

Does Oregon State beat Utah by more than 7?

[SanchezMVP2009]

Well, I predict yes on all of them.

[Adam Mac]

I love your Rutgers Pick I'm putting $100 on that one