The College Football season is taking shape and we have found some more winners with our College Football picks for Week Three action! We have hand-picked the five best games of the week, previewed them and found our best bets for this weekend’s action.
Look below to find our College Football Picks for the five best games of this week’s schedule!
Nebraska @ #3 Oklahoma – 12pm EDT
The big national TV game sees Spencer Rattler and the #3 Oklahoma Sooners host Adrian Martinez and the Nebraska Cornhuskers. This seems to be a very lopsided affair and looking at FanDuel’s market, the Sooners are 22.5 point favorites at home.
Nebraska has bounced back from a disappointing Week 0 loss to Illinois, but are matchups against Fordham and Buffalo really the right preparation for a matchup with Oklahoma and their explosive offense? The ability Martinez has to make plays with his feet or with his arm has been impressive so far this season and it should be enough to keep Nebraska close enough, but there is no way they can win this game.
Fox Sports ad for Nebraska-Oklahoma is AWESOME!!!!!🏈🌽🎈 pic.twitter.com/IgDSvUcyWN
— Huskers Gameday (@HuskersGameday) September 12, 2021
The Sooners are coming off a 76-0 win over Western Carolina last week and that was in-response to their disappointing opener, where they only just got over the line against Tulane. That narrow victory served as a wake-up call for Oklahoma and they now look like they are on top of their game and should get this game comfortably. Rattler has passed for 547 yards and six touchdowns so far this season and should be looking to add some more against a suspect Nebraska defense.
The big question is whether Nebraska can cover the spread and the fact that they are getting more than three touchdowns is massive. Martinez is something exciting and dynamic, which Oklahoma hasn’t seen so far and should help the Huskers secure the backdoor cover.
College Football Pick: Nebraska +22.5 (-110)
#15 Virginia Tech @ West Virginia – 12pm EDT
West Virginia hosts Virginia Tech for the Black Diamond Trophy and actually go in as favorites over their ranked rivals. This is the first time since 2017 these sides have played each other and that game was won by Virginia Tech. However, things have changed and we are looking ahead to this afternoon’s rivalry clash.
While it is quite unusual to see the ranked opponent as the underdog, it may be because the Hokies have struggled on offense, particularly passing the ball. Braxton Burmeister is averaging just 155.5 yards per game whilst throwing for only two touchdowns compared to one pick through the first two games, where Virginia Tech have averaged just 26 points. They have now also lost their main target, James Mitchell, and may struggle to fill the tight end’s physical presence and catching ability.
Especially on the road against a West Virginia side that had a good test first up against Maryland and responded well with a 66-0 thumping of LIU last week. However, LIU is nothing in comparison to Virginia Tech, especially on the defensive side. The Hokies rank fifth in the country for outside corners, led by Jermaine Waller and Dorian Strong. This should allow Virginia Tech to get West Virginia, create opportunities for their offense and take control of this game. To be getting points is a treat.
College Football Pick: Virginia Tech (+110)
Purdue @ #12 Notre Dame – 2.30pm EDT
We are picking a big upset here as Notre Dame host Purdue in a clash that looks very dangerous for the #12 team in the country. The Fighting Irish may have a 2-0 record but they have needed last-minute heroics on both occasions to get there, and come up against their toughest test in this one.
Notre Dame needed overtime to beat Florida State, who have since come out and lost to an unranked opponent, and then needed a last-minute touchdown to overcome Toledo after trailing in the fourth quarter on multiple occasions. Jack Coan is doing everything he can to keep the Fighting Irish in games but their defense is letting them down.
Purdue’s Band will be without the “Worlds Largest Drum” this weekend for the first time since 1979 because it can’t fit through the visiting tunnel.
Bad karma for Notre Dame. This will be known as “The Drum Game”. #BoilerUp 🚂#HammerDown 🔨 pic.twitter.com/VLoxZPcAX0
— The Get Back Coach Podcast (@TheGBCoach) September 16, 2021
That is a big worry against a side that has scored 79 points through the first two weeks and went 30/36 for 375 yards and six touchdowns in the air last week. Davis Bell is the main beneficiary of this and could have NFL potential, especially if he continues to play like he did last week where he had 121 yards on six catches and found the endzone twice.
We are looking at this game as an upset and how you play it depends on how much of a risk-taker you are. Purdue is +240 for the straight up win and we genuinely reckon that is a chance. However, we are getting a full touchdown in the spread! Given how shaky Notre Dame have been so far this season and have won their two games by a combined six points, the Purdue spread looks like a massive play.
College Football Pick: Purdue +7 (-110)
#1 Alabama @ #11 Florida – 3.30pm EDT
While this is the toughest test that Bryce Young and the Crimson Tide have faced this season, they should still get the better of Florida in this clash. The only way to beat this Alabama side is to keep piling on points to outscore their explosive offense and while Florida has scored 77 points through the first two weeks, it hasn’t been against a defense anywhere close to what they will face in this one.
The dual-QB offense that the Gators are playing may get found out in this clash. Both Anthony Richardson and Emory Jones have shown signs of being able to control a high octane offense, particularly Richardson, there are plenty of cracks. Richardson has only seen 11 of Florida’s 60 offensive snaps so far this season while Jones has thrown two touchdowns compared to four picks. Richardson also has the ability to run the ball and has the sort of deep-play, explosive type of offense that can match Young and the Crimson Tide, but can he do it against their defense, especially with concerns of a hamstring injury?
Alabama’s defense is legit. They have created four interceptions through the first two games and kept opponents to just 241 total yards per game so far. Add in the fact that Young is completing 70% of his passes and has the offense humming, this one could be a boilover. The positive Florida has is that Young may struggle, at least in the early going, in a difficult environment but we don’t think that will factor in this one.
College Football Pick: Alabama -14.5 (-110)
#22 Auburn @ #10 Penn State – 7.30pm EDT
We round out the night with the Nittany Lions hosting the Tigers in what will be a ‘whiteout’ at Beaver Stadium. That means that this is no ordinary road game for Auburn as the crowd will be raucous and add another dimension to the Penn State defense, which is already extremely good.
A WHITE OUT IN HAPPY VALLEY 💥
No. 22 Auburn vs. No. 10 Penn State. This Saturday. 7:30 PM ET on ABC 🍿 pic.twitter.com/2URagoGhXH
— ESPN College Football (@ESPNCFB) September 16, 2021
That is a worry for Bo Nix and the Auburn offense, given Nix only averages 180 yards per game on the road and has just nine touchdowns compared to a massive 10 interceptions in his nine true road games. Where the Tigers could catch Penn State off guard is on the ground, given they have one of the best, if not the best, running backs in the country – Tank Bigsby. Through the first two games of the season, albeit against no one significant, Bigsby has had 24 carries for 241 yards and two touchdowns, which are incredible numbers.
However, the Penn State defense will be on top of its game in front of their ‘whiteout’ crowd, and it is a defense that has been extremely impressive against Ball State and a ranked Wisconsin. They have executed their recruiting and nailed their transfers, led by Jaquan Brisker, and kept opponents to an average of 11.5 points so far. The worry is that they did allow Wisconsin’s Chez Mellusi to rush for 121 yards in week one but that was on a massive 31 carries. They should be able to put their focus on Bigsby and force Nix into more errors. The Nittany Lions are currently giving up 5.5 points but due to their defense and their crowd, they should win this by a touchdown, or more.
College Football Pick: Penn State -5.5 (-110)
*Odds and spreads correct at time of publication, courtesy of FanDuel.
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