I hate Notre Dame. Watching Ian Book walk into the endzone to cover the spread made me want to smash the TV. I can’t wait to watch Alabama annihilate them in the Playoff. I won’t apologize for that pick, but I will apologize for my Marshall pick last week. Maybe just staying from away from the Conference USA is a smart decision. 

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. 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.

Last Week: 2–2

Total: 9–7 

TCU vs No. 9 West Virginia (-12.5)

Will Grier single-handedly sent Texas fans back into “the sky is falling” mode, effectively making me question how many fans have actually watched this program over the past decade. Regardless, West Virginia is firing on all cylinders right now, and with TCU heading to Morgantown, this game could get ugly. TCU’s one-point victory over Kansas State last week doesn’t exactly make me feel better about this year. With everything going on with this team, from KaVontae Turpin getting kicked off to Shawn Robinson’s season-ending injury, bet big on the country roads to take you home. 

Pick: West Virginia (-12.5)

Northwestern vs Iowa (-10)

Maybe I like Pat Fitzgerald too much. I would rank Fitzgerald as one of my top five coaching crushes, somewhere in-between P.J. Fleck, Matt Campbell, Chris Petersen and Jason Garrett. I’m kidding about Garrett. Northwestern should have covered against Notre Dame last week, and their 10-point loss is the largest since Week 2 against Duke. Iowa is trending downward, with back-to-back losses against the Tyler Trent-led Boilermakers and a Penn State team that is not great. A win against Iowa and Northwestern clinches the Big Ten West.

Pick: Northwestern (+10)

Miami FL vs Georgia Tech (-3.5)

When is Las Vegas going to realize Miami is actually terrible? After three straight losses for the Hurricanes, not even FEMA can help them at this point. Georgia Tech is picking up steam, winning four out of their last five, including last week which I *cough* picked them to do. 

Pick: Georgia Tech (-3.5) 

Troy vs Georgia Southern (-1.5)

Okay, I’ll admit it. I did not know there was a difference between Georgia Southern and Georgia State until this year. Having said that, Georgia Southern is the odds-on favorite to win the Sun Belt after beating ranked Appalachian State two weeks ago and losing their first game since falling to Clemson in a fluke loss to Louisiana-Monroe. Troy looked like a formidable challenger to the Sun Belt title after its five-game win streak, but losing starting quarterback Kaleb Barker dashed those hopes and the last two wins have been against two of the worst teams in the conference (South Alabama and Louisiana). A one point favorite at home coming off a loss? Give me Georgia Southern, my new favorite team.

Pick: Georgia Southern (-1.5)