I’m not an expert by any stretch of the imagination. I’m just a college student who watches too much college football and places bets he can’t afford — like most of y’all. If you’re trying to pay off student loans or simply saving up to buy a National Championship ticket for Alabama versus Texas, then you might be in the right place. This weekly column is where I will give you my best bets for the week in college football. I am not responsible for any money lost.
Texas Tech (+7) at TCU
How much has TCU dropped off from last year? Is Texas Tech a legit conference contender this year? Are either of them good? Both TCU quarterback Shawn Robinson and Tech gunslinger Alan Bowman are expected to play so we might be able to start separating the good and bad teams in the Big 12. TCU has lost two of their last three games, with their win coming against Iowa State by only three. Meanwhile, Tech almost came back against West Virginia with Jeff Duffey at quarterback. I’m not sure what’s worse, betting on Kliff Kingsbury or betting against Gary Patterson after a bye.
Arizona (+13.5) vs Utah
Yes, I know Utah just annihilated Stanford on the road and Kevin Sumlin looks lost with Khalil Tate, BUT hear me out. First off, Stanford is not a good football team, right? Yeah, they beat Oregon, but they didn’t deserve that win. Second, Arizona has sneakily won three of their last four games. Yes, those three wins are Southern Utah, Oregon State and California, but Sumlin at least has the Wildcats trending in the right direction. I’m not sure if the Wildcats pull of the upset, but I don’t see Utah beating them by two touchdowns.
Florida (-7) vs Vanderbilt
The SEC is tough to read this year. Every week, we think we have it figured out, and then (insert underperforming SEC team here) looks dominate against (insert overrated SEC team here). After Alabama and Georgia, who is the best SEC team? You can make cases for six teams, including Florida. After losing to Kentucky, the Gators have reeled off four straight wins, beating Mississippi State and LSU in the past two weeks. On the other hand, Vanderbilt just looks like a bad team. The Commodores opened SEC play at home against South Carolina and got blown out by 23. Shouldn’t Florida do the same thing? You would think, but at this point, who knows with the SEC. You can’t even count on Alabama covering anymore.
Missouri (+27.5) vs Alabama
Speaking of Alabama … Oh boy, I’m going to regret this one. Alabama’s defense has *ducks under table* looked rather sloppy, and although Nick Saban has voiced his displeasure, I don’t think the Tide are in any shape to give another classic beatdown to a lesser SEC foe. Missouri and quarterback Drew Lock are ninth in total offense this year and can flat out move the ball. Also, Missouri has not played against Alabama since the 2014 SEC Championship Game, where the Tide handed the Tigers a 42-13 loss. Alabama will likely win comfortably against the Tigers, but having zero tape on Lock — and an underperforming defense — is a recipe for Alabama not covering for the third straight week.
