College Football Picks: Bank on Ohio State and SMU in this week's slate

Perhaps you love the NFL and want to enjoy some American football on a Saturday? Maybe you’re just a die-hard college fan. Here are four tips for this week’s action.

Central Michigan Chippewas (+27.5) @ Penn State Nittany Lions (-27.5)

Penn State surprisingly began this season without a Top 25 ranking in the AP Polls, but the Nittany Lions have quickly quietened their doubters with three consecutive victories over Purdue, Ohio and Auburn.

Senior quarterback Sean Clifford has made a fantastic start to 2022 and picked up where he left off from his glittering 2021 campaign, during which he threw for 3,107 yards, 21 touchdowns and five interceptions. But, despite being an integral piece in the puzzle against the Boilermakers in week one, Penn State has largely leaned on a stout defence and running back Nicholas Singleton to extend their winning streak since.

Singleton, an exceptional freshman talent, averaged 15.2 yards per carry against Ohio and Auburn, and will look to cause further damage on Saturday as the Central Michigan Chippewas come to town. Any player that has totalled a whopping 303 yards and four touchdowns from his last 20 touches on the ground has to be feared.

He will be licking his lips heading into this matchup with the Chippewas, who gave up 58 points to Oklahoma State in week one and 38 to South Alabama a fortnight ago. They allowed their opponents over 500 total yards on offence in each game, so their shut-out victory against an inferior Bucknell roster seven days ago looks like a flash in the pan.

Make no mistake, Central Michigan’s defence is not good. And, in Penn State, they are facing one of the best and most talented teams in the country. Bank on the Nittany Lions covering the spread with a potent offensive display.

Selection: Penn State -27.5 @ 1.84

TCU Horned Frogs (-2.0) @ SMU Mustangs (+2.0)

As Ronnie Kray said in the film Legend, ‘I came here for a shootout. A proper shootout’. Okay, this might be an abbreviated (and cleaner) version of his quote, but it is extremely suitable for this match-up between TCU and SMU.

These two offences can’t get enough of the endzone. TCU has scored 97 points in their first two games, while SMU have tallied 120 points across three matches - the law of averages would suggest this will finish 48-40. Both offensive units are averaging over 500 total yards per game, while their defences are giving up 300-plus. If you like backyard football, make sure you tune in.

TCU are the current two-point favourites on the spread, but we are yet to find out their capabilities this season as the two teams they have beaten - Colorado and Tarleton State - have understandably posed little threat. Facing SMU will be the first big test for the Horned Frogs, and I’d much rather take the proven Mustangs at an attractive price.

Their offence is led by gun-slinging quarterback Tanner Mordecai, who threw for 39 touchdowns last season and has already racked up ten this time around. The Texan is one of the most aggressive signal-callers in college football and has an unbreakable connection with senior wideout Rashee Rice, who currently leads the country with 491 receiving yards.

Mordecai and Rice will have to link up numerous times if SMU are to record a third consecutive Dallas-Fort Forth victory in the 101th game in this rivalry. However, I think it is a distinct possibility that they’ll write their own legend in the history of this matchup.

Selection: SMU Money Line @ 2.2

Notre Dame Fighting Irish (+1.5) @ North Carolina Tar Heels (-1.5)

Notre Dame let us down for a full house in this column last week despite recording their first win of the year - they just didn’t secure the victory by over 11 points, which we required to cover the spread. 

That win would have provided the Fighting Irish, and crucially head coach Marcus Freeman, with much-needed confidence heading into this tight match-up against North Carolina, who boast a 3-0 record. Victories over FAMU, Appalachian State and Georgia State aren’t groundbreaking, but the Tar Heels proved their offensive capabilities in each encounter.

A sub-par and disorientated defence has also been on show in those games - they conceded 61 points to Appalachian State, which included a whopping 40 points in the fourth quarter - and it won’t be long before their offence simultaneously crumbles alongside their beleaguered secondary. 

This might be the moment, as they face a Notre Dame group that held the third-ranked Ohio State to just 21 points back in week one. If the Tar Heels’ freshman quarterback Drake Maye falters under pressure, Notre Dame will capitalise - and they are a tasty price to do so.

Selection: Notre Dame Money Line @ 2.04

Wisconsin Badgers (+18.5) @ Ohio State Buckeyes (-18.5)

A Big Ten skirmish between Wisconsin and Ohio State will always attract a huge crowd, but this game might prove more one-sided than many think.

Wisconsin have long struggled to dominate offensively and instead rely on being both physical up front and hard to wear down. They exploded last week by posting 66 points against New Mexico State, but they were helped by inept quarterback play that rewarded the Badgers with two first-half turnovers. 

Prior to that they struggled in a 17-14 loss to Washington State, and a repeat performance here would see Ohio State coast to a facile victory. The Buckeyes improved on Wisconsin’s tally of 66 points, by posting 77 against Toledo last week in a more one-sided affair than Germany’s 7-1 thrashing of Brazil at the 2014 World Cup.

Despite his team scoring 11 touchdowns, star wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba was held to just two catches for 33 yards and failed to get on the scoresheet. This will be his breakout game. Expect the future NFL talent to roam free in the secondary and help Ohio State record a statement victory in front of their fans.

Selection: Ohio State -18.5 @ 1.86

Recommended bets

Penn State -27.5 @ 1.84
SMU ML @ 2.2
Notre Dame ML @ 2.04
Ohio State -18.5 @ 1.86