Gene's Picks (1 Live)
Gene's Past Picks
I've been saying this for years: This long-awaited rematch will have the most hostile road environment in the history of college football. There will be 110,000-plus fans, most of whom have been waiting to get revenge since the Longhorns won the last game of the series, in 2011. Texas has played its best on the road the last two seasons, but this will be a different animal. Also, as Georgia showed, the way to beat the Longhorns is to get pressure on QB Quinn Ewers, and Texas A&M has the NFL talent on the defensive line to do that. I considered taking the 5.5 points, but I expect this to be a coin-flip game, and I'll take +185 on a coin flip anytime. Two units.
The Gamecocks are arguably playing the best ball in the SEC, having won five straight games by an average of 23.4 points per game. That includes two wins over ranked teams. South Carolina has been playing great defense all season, giving up just 18.2 points per game (14th in the country). Meanwhile, Clemson has not beaten a ranked team this season, and the Tigers' best win is a four-point victory against Pitt. Give me the Gamecocks on the money line.
I realize I'm not getting the best number on this line, but I don't think it's going to matter. Oklahoma State (3-8) has lost eight in a row and has nothing to play for. The Cowboys also rank 117th in the country in scoring defense (34.1 points per game). That bodes well for a Colorado team that could still reach the Big 12 title game with a win. I expect Coach Prime will want to send both Heisman Trophy favorite Travis Hunter and quarterback Shedeur Sanders out with big numbers in what may be their last college game. So I think we'll see the Buffaloes keep piling on the points.
The Tigers have won only one SEC game this season, and that came against Kentucky, arguably the worst team in the conference. Auburn is averaging just 16.0 points per game in SEC play; just Oklahoma and Kentucky average fewer. That doesn't bode well against a Texas A&M defense with a nasty front four and multiple Sunday-level players. I realize this is a trap game for the Aggies, who have an enormous matchup against Texas next week, but the Tigers may be caught looking ahead to next week also. A&M has so much to play for; I expect the Aggies will give their best effort.
The Beavers are fading badly to the finish, having lost five straight games. Over their last three games, they've averaged just 6.7 points a game and have been beaten by 25.3 points. Meanwhile the Cougars are bowl-eligible for the eighth time in the last nine seasons. The weather forecast calls for rain on Saturday, and that favors the team that wants to be there—Washington State.
There are two main reasons why I like the Hoosiers in this massive Big Ten showdown. First, the season-ending Achilles injury to Buckeyes center Seth McLaughlin is huge. He was playing at an all-conference level, and the timing of his injury—in the middle of the week—only makes replacing him more difficult. Second, Indiana knows that even if loses on Saturday, a close loss could still earn it a spot in the College Football Playoffs. So even if this game gets out of hand, a backdoor cover is still a possibility. Give me the Hoosiers.
The Gamecocks are playing some of the best football in the country. Their surge has begun with defense. South Carolina has given up just 12.0 points per game over its last three games and ranks second in the SEC in sacks (33). Defensive end Kyle Kennard is a high-motor attack man who leads the SEC in tackles for loss (13.5) and ranks second in the conference in sacks (9.5). Meanwhile the Gamecocks rushing attack has been on a roll. Over the last two games, South Carolina has averaged 250.0 rushing yards per game and 5.8 yards per rush. Gamecocks roll.
The Gators are a beat-up football team. Florida was without 11 starters and 14 total players in last week's 32-point loss against Texas, and the team's health doesn't figure to improve that significantly for Saturday. Even if quarterback DJ Lagway returns from a hamstring injury that required him to be carted off the field two weeks ago, how effective can he be as a running quarterback? LSU has had trouble stopping running quarterbacks Marcel Reed and Jalen Milroe, but at least those players had two healthy hamstrings. Meanwhile the Gators defense has given up 41.5 points per game over the last two games. Give me two units on the Tigers.
With their plethora of weapons at the skill positions, the Longhorns have the ability to blow this game wide open and make this pick look silly. But the Razorbacks and their fans have been pointing to this game all season; the atmosphere should be electric, even for a day game. If the Arkansas defense can find a way to pressure the quarterback—something the Razorbacks have struggled doing all season—this game has the potential to be interesting. Give me Arkansas to cover this big number coming off its bye week.
Missouri was one of the most overrated teams in college football even with quarterback Brady Cook. Now the Tigers will be without Cook on Saturday. That's bad news against an Oklahoma defense that has been solid all season. Meanwhile the Sooners offense has shown signs of life with Joe Jon Finley calling plays and Jackson Arnold back behind center. Give me Oklahoma.
If, as the saying goes, "Good teams win but great teams cover," then the Hoosiers are a great team. They're 8-1 against-the-spread this season, while Michigan is 2-7. Indiana just has too much offensively for the Wolverines. The Hoosiers rank second in the country in scoring offense (46.6 points per game), while Michigan ranks 116th (21.0). The Wolverines defense may be able to plug holes early, but eventually the dam will break. Indiana rolls.
Longhorns coach Steve Sarkisian spoke this week about the team needing to get its "mojo" back. I sense that he wants a big performance from his team coming out of the bye week. He should get it against a Florida team that will be hampered by quarterback DJ Lagway's hamstring injury. Give me Texas.
I must be missing something because I can't see how the Commodores are 7-point dogs and +210 on the money line. They beat No. 1 Alabama and hung around with No. 5 Texas, and as long as Diego Pavia is behind center, Vanderbilt has a chance. Meanwhile Auburn has struggled all season with turnovers and time of possession, and that doesn't bode well against a Commodores team that wants to control the clock. Give me two units on the money line, and I like Vandy +7 too.
If Longhorns quarterback Quinn Ewers were healthy and playing well, I'd pick Texas to cover in what is supposed to be a get-well game after last week's loss to Georgia. But he hasn't looked right since going out with an oblique strain a month ago. Meanwhile, the Commodores like to run the ball and control the clock, which is the perfect ingredient for a cover. Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia can make enough plays with his arm and feet to get the cover. Something like 28-13 sounds right.