OVER DRIVE IN WEEK FIVE

 

We rebounded quite nicely last Saturday, posting a 6-2 mark. So for the season to date we're now sitting at 59% of our picks.

We have another great slate of games with a couple of tasty UPSET SPECIALS sprinkled in.

THE GREAT EIGHT™ for WEEK FIVE

#7 STANFORD @ #8 NOTRE DAME…this is probably the best matchup of the day so grab a cold one. Stanford’s Bryce Love leads the Cardinal into Notre Dame Stadium after rushing for 125 yards in last year’s 38-20 win. This doesn’t bode well for an Irish defense that gave up 259 rushing yards last week to Wake Forest. In an UPSET SPECIAL take the Cardinal over the Irish.

OLE MISS @ #5 LSU…this game pits strength against strength. The Rebels lead the SEC in passing offense and their air game is red hot with several receivers NFL-bound (AJ Brown and DK Metcalf). Meanwhile, LSU has one of the toughest secondarys in the country. The key to this game is which teams starts fast. LSU has a history of jumping out to a lead then struggling late to hang on. If they can play tough for 60 minutes, the Crazy Cajun wins again. Take the Tigers in Baton Rouge.

#4 OHIO STATE @ #9 PENN STATE…this will be a great game featuring two undefeated teams, both 4-0.  We like the Buckeyes in this specifically because of their qb, Dwayne Haskins, who has completed 76% of his passes. Penn State has not faced anyone of his caliber so the Nittany Lion defense will be well tested. But Ohio State also has a fairly strong run offense with two outstanding rbs, Mike Weber and JK Dobbins, so this could be a long night in Happy Valley. The loser of this game could very well be out of the CFP mix. It’s that kind of game. Bet on the Buckeyes over Penn State.

FLORIDA @ #23 MISSISSIPPI STATE…get your cowbells ready for this one. Dan Mullen returns to Starkville, leading his 3-1 Gators into the fray with his old Bulldogs. The Gator defense needs to work more of its turnover magic if the Gators are to win against the nation’s eighth best offense, averaging almost 600 yards nad 50 points per game. Despite a dismal showing against Kentucky, this Bulldog group looks pretty potent. Put your cash on the Cowbells. Missy State over the Gators.

#20 BYU @ #11 WASHINGTON…neither team’s offense is lighting it up so this game may very well be decided by the defense. Or, perhaps, by an offense that decides to wake up. BYU’s strategy is to hang around in games and come up with an opportunistic score. And they won’t be intimidated by playing on the road given their success against Wisconsin and Arizona. If the Huskies can play four quarters, we like their defense to win in it. Take the Huskies over the Mormons.

#19 OREGON @ #24 CAL…the Ducks are not the Ducks of old with high flying offenses but they can still put up points in a hurry. Meanwhile, Cal is slow and steady. They lack a flashy offense but their defense has been excellent, forcing turnovers and setting up scoring opportunities. With two weeks off, we think the Bears pull off the upset. In an UPSET SPECIAL, take the Golden Bears of Berkeley.

VIRGINIA TECH @ #22 DUKE…the Blue Devils are riding high and off to a fast start, undefeated with 2 Power 5 wins. Meanwhile the Hokies were embarrassed last week losing to previously winless Old Dominion. Yikes. To make things worse, Va Tech starting qb broke his leg in that game, so VT is relying on Kansas transfer, Ryan Willis, to ignite the Hokie offense. Key to the game is Duke’s passing vs VT’s sloppy secondary that was torched by ODU.  Put your chips on Coach Cut’s Devils.

SYRACUSE @ #3 CLEMSON…the Cuse rolls into Death Vallye riding a 4 game win streak but will be facing a Clemson team that just played their most complete game dismantling the Georgia Tech Rambling Wreak. Syracuse will be relying on their dual threat qb Eric Dungey. They need his arm to open up the running game. Their defense is much improved, with 13 sacks thru 4 games, albeit against weaker opponents. The line on this game (23 points) is so tempting but we think Clemson will come out on top, especially if qb Trevor Lawrence gets hot early. Tigers bite the Orange.

MAKE MO’ MONEY WITH MARK

WEEK FOUR. WE WANT MORE

Still on the plus side

We’ve heard from a few folks that our GO BIG or GO HOME strategy of front loading the GREAT EIGHT™ with five UPSET SPECIALS was perhaps not the smartest move.  We admit that it was a pinch aggressive but we thought the moment was right to strike. So we went 4-4 for the day including two huge UPSET SPECIALS, taking Vanderbilt and the points against Notre Dame, and Fresno over UCLA. And we came pretty darn close to winning a couple more. So net-net, we made some decent money for the weekend. Are we satisfied? Of course not. We want it all, and we want it now. And so do you.

WHEN THE GOING GETS TOUGH, WE EAT AND DRINK

WWW braintrust at work

Earlier in the week, WWW brought together some pretty smart guys to discuss pick strategy as well as the algorithms we employ for selecting games. We agreed to a few refinements so hopefully you’ll benefit with our new thinking. We also agreed that we like damn cold beer and tasty appetizers. You can’t win on an empty stomach. Joining the confab was LAIR of the BEAR from Pasadena and Golden Gator from the Carolina coast.

EXTRA POINTS

Not quite what it use to be

• Florida only took 2600 of its 7500 ticket allotment for the Florida v Tennessee game. Once upon a time this was THE hottest ticket in the SEC, if not America. But with struggling programs (Tennessee has lost its last nine SEC games), fans are rethinking their ticket purchase decisions and passing on the trip to Rocky Top.

• Last Saturday Big Ten teams lost 7 games to non-conference teams. For a conference that demands respect, they need to start being dominant. Otherwise they risk getting left out of the CFP again.

• Nebraska is off to a terrible start with its first 0-2 start since 1957, after losing to Troy. And with a trip to Michigan coming up, it’s not going to get any better. What say ye, Scott Frost?

• With Alabama’s 62-7 butt kicking of Ole Miss, the Tide becomes the first team in SEC history to score 50+ points in its first three games. The offense AND defense is looking unbeatable.

Golden Gator and sidekick

GOLDEN GATOR CALLS THE GAME

Despite this game not being the big conference championship decider as in the past, it’s still, nevertheless, a fierce rivalry. Tennessee seems to struggle every season with Florida and it’s especially frustrating when the Vols appear to have the better team. It’s hard to tell this season who’s better and that’s why we’ve asked our veteran picker, GOLDEN GATOR, to give us his take.

In His Words…

“Here we go again…. the REAL Orange Bowl, with 100,000 people wearing really ugly orange clothes, with just a few wearing beautiful blue. Since 1971, Florida is 25 - 7 versus Tennessee making the game very predictable.

NOT SO THIS YEAR

This game will be close. Both schools have new coaches trying to return their schools to greatness. But we all know the first year is treacherous for a coach. Florida has the advantage here with Dan Mullen’s head coaching experience.

Both schools have running attacks with potential.  Tennessee has had success after WVU.  And Florida clearly has skilled running backs with the emergence of Damien Pierce in the Colorado State game. Tennessee will depend on the run to control the game. They will run up solid ground game numbers.

What about the passing game? Tennessee has two solid quarterbacks, each steady although facing a solid passing defense from Florida. Even with multiple injuries, the Florida secondary will be a huge challenge for the Vols.  In my view, the Vols passing game will be weak, in part because they will run two out of three plays but also because the Gators will prevent long pass completions.

Felipe Franks is much improved when the game is even or the Gators are leading. but, if the Gators fall behind, Franks tries too hard… overthrowing and happy feet become too common.  Thank goodness some quality receivers have emerged. In this game, I see Van Jefferson getting the game ball. He’s returning to his Tennessee home and is primed for greatness.

Florida special team play is a real advantage along with a better kicking game.

FLORIDA WINS  27-17 IN A HARD FOUGHT BATTLE!

THE GREAT EIGHT™ for WEEK FOUR

FLORIDA @ TENNESSEE…two teams with new coaches, rebuilding once proud dominant teams, looking for significant wins. Which team needs a win the most? You could build a case for either team but we would probably go with the Vols and new coach Jeremy Pruitt., especially in a night game at raucous Neyland Stadium. Last week the Vols started to gel but that was against one of the poorest teams in America, UTEP. For Tennessee to post a win over Florida they have to run the ball, move the chains, and minimize turnovers. QB Jarrett Guarantano doesn’t have to be a hero, just not play dumb…forcing throws, throwing picks, taking huge sacks. Going against Golden Gator and saying Tennessee skins the Lizards in Knoxville.

#2 GEORGIA @ MISSOURI…besides Alabama, Georgia probably has the most complete offense with a strong stable of tailbacks, depth of quality receivers, and a top ranked quarterback. That should be enough to win this game. But no so fast. Mizzou has its own qb headliner, Drew Lock, and he will certainly make some noise on Saturday. Bottomline though…the Dawgs have barely broken a sweat this season and the more talented and complete Georgia team will have no trouble pulling away in the second half. Run with the Dawgs in the one.

#3 CLEMSON @ GEORGIA TECH…the Tigers are trying to find the team of the last two seasons in which they dominated other teams on their way to the CFB. Meanwhile the Jackets continue to flounder as evidenced by their lackluster performance against Pitt. It was one of the poorest efforts by Tech and has to have you wondering about Paul Johnson’s longevity. And they must have the most inept special teams unit in the country. The Tigers won’t need much help from the Jackets in this one. Tigers bite the Jackets on the Flats.

#7 STANFORD @ #20 OREGON…both teams have identical records (3-0) but have played very different levels of competition. Oregon has played three cupcakes: Bowling Green, Portland State, San Jose State. Meanwhile, Stanford has played two challenging teams, San Diego State and Southern Cal. So while Oregon has some pretty stout defensive numbers, they really haven’t been tested, and with the Cardinal they will be tested. Stanford plays very physical and if rb Bryce Love can find his groove, this game goes to Stanford. Cardinal over the Ducks.

#18 WISCONSIN @ IOWA…the Badgers were bit last Saturday by BYU, barely losing on a whiffed field goal attempt. Ouch. So they really need to bounce back and we think they will. RB Jonathan Taylor is Heisman caliber and he’s going to need his A game and a strong push by his offensive line going against the #2 ranked defense that has racked up 12 sacks so far this season. Go big with Bucky the Badger in a close one.

NEBRASKA @ #19 MICHIGAN…the Huskers opened the season with two losses, the most recent to Troy. This is the first time since 1956 in which the Bug Eaters lost their first two games. And with a trip to Ann Arbor, it looks like that streak is going to continue. Ouch. I don’t see much changing especially if Husker qb Adrian Martinez can’t go. He’ll be replaced by a so-so qb, Andrew Bunch. The Wolverines feature qb Shea Patterson that is starting find his place in Harbaugh’s offense. Wolverines chomp on the Huskers.

WASHINGTON STATE @ SOUTHERN CAL…the Cougars are sitting at 3-0 but they really haven’t played anyone yet, at least no high powered FBS offense. If the Trojan defense can keep playing tough and if their offense can finally get back on track, the Trojans have a good chance of pulling off this win. That’s a lot of “ifs” but we think they can do it. Trojans over the Cougars.  Note: this is a Friday night game so don’t forget to call your guy.

#17 TCU @ TEXAS…the Horned Frogs have beaten the Longhorns in five of their six meetings since TCU joined the Big 12. But tomorrow might be Texas’ best chance to win. The Horns are riding high after blowing out USC last week while the Frogs are coming off a slobberknocker against Ohio State. If Gary Patterson can get his TCU teams re-focused, they should be alright. This will be a tight one in Austin but the Horned Frogs will prevail. 

MAKE MO’ MONEY with MARK™

HUMBLED IN WEEK TWO. HUNGRY IN WEEK THREE.

 

Last Saturday we took it on the chin, finishing 4-4 in our GREAT EIGHT™ picks. A humbling experience but we learn and move on. We're still making money!

Picking winners early in the season is always tricky but a couple of teams really surprised us, so we're now sitting at 9-7, but it's a long season so don't panic.

Florida, under new head coach Dan Mullen, lost to Kentucky for the first time since 1986. We thought qb Feliepe Frank would have a better showing but it never materialized.

Nebraska, which has always been problematic for us, lost a close one to a much improved Colorado team. And Northwestern failed for the first time in a long time not to dominate the Duke Blue Devils.

Still Making Mo' Money

We did take the UPSET SPECIAL of UCLA (and the points) over Oklahoma.

So enough whining!  Let’s get on with winning!

ARE WE CRAZY OR WHAT?

Matchups for Week Three are a little thin relative to the first two Saturdays. But take a look at our GREAT EIGHT. It’s loaded with some pretty bold UPSET SPECIALS that can make you some serious money. In fact our five UPSET SPECIALS are the most we have ever posted in a single week. Have we been drinking? Of course. It’s five o’clock somewhere, right?

WWW fall intern earning his feed

FROM THE MAIL ROOM

Wow. We received a bunch of notes from around the country this past week. We love hearing from you so keep ‘em coming.

Memphis Momma: “So glad you’re back for another season. Can always use the extra cash I win almost every week.”   WWW: so glad we can help. Be sure to keep that coffee can hidden from your old man.

WalkerTexasRanger:  “Need more games from the Lone Star state.”  WWW: what’s the magic word?

Harvard Yard: “Why is it we have to beg for Ivy League games? After all, college football started up here.”  WWW: we always feature an Ivy League game or two, but let’s face it; no one really cares.

Carolina Cupid: “Don’t forget about my ‘Heels!!”  WWW: well then, start playing some football.

Hoe Down n Tally Town: “I like making money with college games. But how about some NFL games?”   WWW:  while we enjoy the pro game, our focus is exclusively on college games. That’s our passion, and it’s a lot of fun.

Bay City Roller: “Keep up the West Coast coverage. We actually play some pretty good football out here.”  WWW: you’re absolutely correct. The Pac-12 is going to make some serious noise this season.

Calling all fans. Send us pics of your tailgating or in-stadium action. We love to see what everyone is enjoying on football weekends (keep it clean please).

THE GREAT EIGHT™ for WEEK THREE

LSU @ AUBURN…the winner of this key game could very well emerge as the biggest threat to the dominance of Alabama in the SEC West. Both clubs had impressive opening wins over tough foes. LSU knocked off Miami while Auburn edged out the Washington Huskies. Key word for this game: DEFENSE. While LSU has put up some strong numbers QB Joe Burrow has been less than stellar, completing only 47% of passes. Orgeron’s gang will be facing one of the nation’s top defensive units with a pretty deep defensive line that will be in  Burrow’s grill all afternoon. And one more point…Auburn’s Jarrett Stidham is off to a fast start. He’s a big reason that we’re going with War Eagle over LSU.

ALABAMA @ MISSISSIPPI…if you’re headed to the Grove on Saturday be sure to pack an extra bottle or two of bourbon. Because this game is shaping up to be an aerial dogfight featuring two SEC teams that are not shy about pointing up points in bunches. It is the first time since 1925 that Alabama has scored more than 50 points in each of their first two games. The Rebs hung 76 points on Southern Illinois, and are ranked 8^th in total yardage per game (596) and 2^nd in passing yards (407). Unfortunately the Ole Miss defense is suspect. The 21 point spread is awfully tempting but we’re rolling with the Tide to win and win big. Tide rises over the Rebs.

WASHINGTON @ UTAH…after a close scare against Northern Illinois, the Utes look to elevate their play when the Huskies arrive at Rice-Eccles Stadium. This will be a slugfest with the Utes dominating the trenches on both sides of the ball. In an UPSET SPECIAL, the Utes knock off Washington and drop them out of the Top Ten.

TCU @ OHIO STATE…the Horned Frogs are probably one of the most underrated teams in the country. They have great size and speed, unlike anything Ohio State has seen in their two cupcake bottom-feeder games. If TCU can limit Buckeye explosive plays, look for qb Shawn Robinson to have a breakout night in Fort Worth. In a huge UPSET SPECIAL, Horned Frogs hop over the Nuts.

VANDY @ NOTRE DAME…when you look at these two schools it’s hard to find anything in common beyond great academics. Having only played twice before, the Commodores will not be intimidated when they arrive in South Bend. They’ve played in crazier venues in the SEC so they won’t be fazed. Obviously the Irish have a deeper bench with 4 and 5 star athletes. But Vandy has some accomplished players as well including receiver Kalija Lipscomb and te Jared Pinkney, strong targets for qb Kyle Shurmur. The key: protecting Shurmur from a tough Irish defensive front. Call us crazy but we’re taking Vandy and the points (14.5) in an UPSET SPECIAL. Notre Dame will not cover.

MISSOURI @ PURDUE…the Boilermakers have won six of the previous games with Mizzou but you can forget about that for now. Purdue has looked bad losing its first two games to Northwestern and Eastern Michigan. Meanwhile the Tigers had strong showings against Wyoming and UT Martin…not exactly Power Five quality. The key to this game is Mizzou qb Drew Lock. He’s 52 of 70, 8 TDs and zero picks, in leading a passing offense that is ranked 3^rd in the country. We don’t see the Boilermakers stopping that air attack. Tigers bite the Boilers.

#22 SOUTHERN CAL @ TEXAS…both teams are works in progress and both are anxious to move forward in their quest for national relevance. Texas was nipped in its opener, losing to Maryland. The Trojans lost last week to a strong Stanford team, 17-3. The key to this game is the play of Trojan qb JT Daniels. He was off last week versus Stanford but the Texas defense has struggled in its first two games this season, and Daniels will seize on that. Look for him to hook up with his favorite target, Mater Dei teammate Amon-Ra St. Brown. In an UPSET SPECIAL, Trojans de-horn the steers.

FRESNO STATE @ UCLA…the Bruins are looking to avoid an 0-3 start for the first time since 1971.  They lost their home opener to Cincinnati and fell to Oklahoma last week on the road. New head coach Chip Kelly is looking for his first win at UCLA, and the fans are hot for a W. But in comes a strong Fresno State team featuring an aggressive ground game led by rbs Josh Hokit, Jordan Mims and Dejonte O’Neal. Meanwhile Kelly is trying to find the answer at qb. Wilton Speight started the season but left the Oklahoma game with a back injury. His replacement, Dorian Thompson-Robinson, has performed well but Kelly may fall back to the experienced Speight. In an UPSET SPECIAL, Bulldogs bite the Bruins.

MAKE MO’ MONEY with MARK™

LET THE WINNING CONTINUE

We went 5-3 overall and hit on the UPSET SPECIAL with LSU winning big over Miami. Florida State's offense must have been confused and traveled to Baton Rouge because they never showed up at Doak Campbell Stadium.

We missed by a whisker on the Auburn-Washington game that lived up to our predictions of being a really close game. And, it was obvious after one quarter that Notre Dame football is back after they beat Michigan.

Just warming up

This week's slate of games is relatively light compared to last weekend's rock 'em sock 'em opening round. Nevertheless there are several games that offer opportunities to Make Mo' Money™.

Gator Zack with his WWW pen

From The Mail Room
Last week we invited subscribers of Woolard's Weekend Winners to send in selfies with their WWW swag. Our good buddy, Gator Zack, responded with his nifty official WWW ball point pen. He looks like a winner, and he writes like one, too. Zack qualifies for his WWW bonus points. And you can too if you send us some selfies...either with WWW gear or just having a great time getting blasted at your favorite tailgating venue.


WEST COAST WORD

West coast rep, Lair of the Bear

To kick things off this week, LAIR of the BEAR (LOTB) offers his insight into the UCLA - OKLAHOMA match in Norman. Lair returns as our PAC 12 representative, a conference he knows all too well. Growing up in the shadows of the Rose Bowl and UCLA, LOTB is a big Bruin fan, a Cal Berkeley grad...married to a Colorado alum...with a Washington Huskie son, along with siblings that are also big time UCLA peeps. I've met them all, and each one is very very passionate about their college football.

Here's the scoop on UCLA v Oklahoma...

The Chip Kelly era at UCLA didn’t start the way Westwood envisioned with a 26-17 home loss at the hands of the Bearcats of the University of Cincinnati. And, it’s not going to be easy to bounce back with a “W” this weekend verses Oklahoma.  True, Coach Kelly has never lost consecutive games as a college head coach, but this year, UCLA is also recognized as having one of the toughest schedules of any FBS football team.

Yes, this Saturday, the gutty little Bruins are on the road at venerable Gaylord Family-Oklahoma Memorial Stadium in Norman, Oklahoma for a brawl with the #6 Ranked Oklahoma Sooners backed by their 86,112 fans dressed in crimson and cream and the Sooner Schooner racing around Owen Field to endless choruses of “Boomer Sooner”!

The Sooners no longer have the services of last year’s Heisman Trophy Winner, Baker Mayfield, but they are considered to have one of the best offenses in college football. The Sooners love to run, and last week, one of the best running backs in the nation, Rodney Anderson totaled 100 yards and 2 TD’s on only 5 carries.   Last year, UCLA’s defense ranked dead-last in the NCAA in rushing yards allowing 287.4 yards per game, and 122nd nationally in total defense. It may not be surprising that OU is currently a 30 point favorite.

However…. This is a different Bruin team.  After coming to Westwood, one of Kelly’s first hires was Jerry Azzinaro as the Bruins’ defensive coordinator. The two have developed an extensive working relationship over the last two years as Azzinaro coached Kelly’s defensive line at Oregon from 2009-12, served as the assistant head coach/defensive line coach for Kelly’s Philadelphia Eagles team from 2013-15, and then followed Kelly to San Francisco to coach the 49er’s defensive line in 2016.  Throughout spring practice, the defense has made two necessary adjustments: switching back to a 3-4 scheme and a focus on tackling.  A 3-4 scheme could adapt to UCLA’s players as it favors a more agile and fast-paced defensive talent, something the Bruins are filled with.

The defensive mantra in Westwood this past week has been “Fly to the Ball”! The Bruins will get three strong defensive players back for this game who were suspended for a violation of athletic department policies - Defensive Back Mo Osling and defensive linemen Osa Odighizuwa (Try saying that fast a few times) and Moses Robinson-Carr. The other players to watch are Former 5-star standout Darnay Holmes at right corner He’s fearless, loves to hit and led the team with 3 interceptions last year. The best player on the defensive side of the ball is probably #15 Jaelan Phillips – 6’5”, 255 outside linebacker.

On offence… the Bruins have to start a true freshman Dorian Thompson-Robinson.  Their starter against Cincinnati, Wilton Speight, a graduate transfer from Michigan, went down in the first half of that game. Dorian Thompson-Robinson is a dual-threat quarterback from Bishop Gorman High School in Las Vegas who was recruited to lead Kelly’s offense, but… Kelly was not planning on his first start to be on the road against Oklahoma. Another freshman player to watch is running back Kazmeir Allen — the California 100-meter high school sprint champion who set a national prep record with 72 touchdowns last fall! Kazmeir showed UCLA fans the future is now when he went 74 yards for a score early in the second half of their opener.
The Bruins tight end, #81 Caleb Wilson has been waiting three years to return to Norman. He once considered himself a proud Sooner. His father, Chris Wilson, was a two-time All-American linebacker for Oklahoma who later returned as defensive ends coach and special teams coordinator for five seasons while Caleb was in elementary and middle school.
So…. will the Bruins upset the Sooners? Probably not.  It could very well be closer than the 30 point spread, especially if the Sooners are looking past UCLA to next week when they travel to Jack Trice Stadium in Ames, Iowa and hope to avenge their only regular season loss of last year’s campaign, an embarrassing loss, at the hands of the Iowa State Cyclones. I love college football.

THE GREAT EIGHT™ for WEEK TWO

#3 Georgia @ #24 South Carolina…forget last week’s easy routs of cupcakes…UGA over Austin Peay and SoCar over Coastal Carolina. This will be a big test for both teams. The Gamecocks have moved to a new up tempo spread offense that should be a big improvement over last season. Jake Bentley will need to keep his offense moving if the Gamecocks have any chance of pulling off a win. Dawg fans will be delighted with a deep stable of strong running backs including D’Andre Swift, Elijah Holyfield and Brian Herrien. QB Jake Fromm will be throwing to the deepest receiving corps in the SEC. This will be a tight one in Columbia but the Bulldogs will be ringing the Chapel Bell back in Athens. Dawgs win.

Duke @ Northwestern….these teams are not exactly football powerhouses but are becoming foes on a regular basis. Since 2000 the Wildcats are 7-2 against the Blue Devils. This is NU’s home opener following a rare conference road win over Purdue. Look for Wildcat rb Jeremy Larkins to have a strong day. He rushed for 143 yards last week and two touchdowns. But the real news is Northwestern’s defense which logged five sacks and three huge INTs. If they can contain Duke’s dual threat qb Daniel Jones, it will be fun times at the Lake. Cats chew the Devils.

UCLA @ #6 Oklahoma…gone is Josh Rosen from new UCLA head coach Chip Kelly’s team. He’s now having to play backup qb along with a terrible offensive line that struggled against Cincinnati last week. Look for Lincoln Riley to open up the Sooner playbook on offense along with an aggressive Mike Stoops’ defense that will harass UCLA all afternoon long. The 30 point spread is too too tempting to pass up. In an UPSET SPECIAL take the Bruins and the points.

#17 Southern Cal @ #10 Stanford…in the most competitive series in the PAC 12, this is a rematch of the 2017 PAC 12 Championship game and, perhaps, a preview of the 2018 version. Bryce Love returns for Stanford after rushing for 2100+ yards in 2017. Meanwhile the Trojans will feature qb JT Daniels who lead USC to a 43-21 win over UNLV. The threat of a Stanford passing game prevents USC from stuffing the box to stop Love, who will be the difference maker Saturday. In a close game, take the Cardinal.

#15 Michigan State @ Arizona State…this is one of the more intriguing matchups of Week Two. The Spartans return 19 starters from a 10 win team in 2017. The Sun Devils feature a high powered offense, racking up over 500 yards last Saturday but that was against lowly UTSA.  We like Sparty to prevail.

Kentucky @ #25 Florida…the Gators have not lost to Kentucky since 1986 and are sporting a 31 win streak. That’s pretty stout. After a strong showing versus Charleston Southern, Gator Feleipe Frank looks like a new quarterback under the direction of new head coach Dan Mullen. He threw for 219 yards, 5 touchdowns and zero INT….in just the first half. But look for Wildcat coach Mark Stoops to dial up the Kentucky run game that features All-SEC Benny Snell and AJ Rose. No secret will be to keep moving the chains and keel Florida off the field. Gators make it 32 in a row over the Cats.

Colorado @ Nebraska…the Huskers are extra hungry to kickoff the season after their game with Akron was rained out…the first time since 1943 that Nebraska cancelled a game. So…we’ll finally get a look at Scott Frost to see if he can coach big boy football. An inexperienced Husker defense will be challenged by the Buff’s qb Steven Montez, a strong run and throw quarterback. Countering him will be qb Adrian Martinez. Predicting Nebraska has always been a challenge for us but we think the Cornhuskers will pull out an opening win. Take the Bug Eaters.

#2 Clemson @ Texas A&M…this is Dabo versus Jimbo…two coaches that knocked heads for eight years as ACC rivals. A road win for Clemson will look awfully good on the resume when it comes measurement time for the CFP in December. It will be a test of Dabo’s two qb rotation strategy. Meanwhile the Aggies are looking for a big signature win for Dabo’s maiden season. But it won’t be easy. The Tigers have one of the best defensive fronts in the country and they’ll be looking to disrupt the Aggie offense and put pressure on qb Kellen Mond. Clemson wins in College Station.

MAKE MO' MONEY with MARK™