My first pick of the college football season is Appalachian State +21 on the road vs. No. 9 Tennessee. The Mountaineers have a tough assignment vs. Josh Dobbs, a true dual-threat quarterback, and Jalen Hurd, who both return for the Vols in 2016. Tennessee is obviously the better team, but I'm not buying them as three-touchdown favorites against an Appalachian state squad that returns Taylor Lamb and Marcus Cox. Cox is the nation's second-leading active rusher entering the season and he proved he can run against anyone with 103 yards against Clemson last year. Give me the Mountaineers and the points.

The Volunteers are a trendy pick to win the SEC, as they return a wealth of starters on both sides of the ball and should have one of the most explosive offensive units in the country. Dual-threat quarterback Joshua Dobbs threw for 2,291 yards and 15 touchdowns, and ran for 671 yards and 11 scores. Tennessee hosts an Appalachian State team that was a juggernaut of its own in the Sun Belt last season, as the Mountaineers put up 36.7 points per game while dominating Sun Belt opponents for most of the season. However, when the Mountaineers step out of their weight class, they haven’t fared well in recent seasons. I think they have enough firepower to score some points but will have a hard time hanging inside the number against a Volunteers club that I believe will find the end zone early and often, and will take this game by at least four touchdowns.

These teams are similar in a lot of ways. Both feature dual-threat QBs, both have deep backfields with two returning runners who combined for more than 1,900 yards, and both possess defenses that try to dictate everything. Tennessee brings more talent, of course, but Appalachian State has more than you think. This line is too high and I'll take the points.