College Capper: Free College Football Picks this Week
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Chris' Picks
So last week's guessing game went about as expected. Just awful, and I've got quite the hole to dig out of. That's nothing new.
Week 2 is usually my favorite week of the betting season, as it usually offers a plethora of overreactions that simply aren't real. I'm not seeing that in this week's lines, so my confidence isn't tremendous.
Over 54.5 points 
Louisville vs. 
James Madison
Louisville scored 51 points last week, JMU scored 45. If only this were that simple. I don't find the Cardinals to be on upset alert, but the Dukes have ample Power 4 talent that's transferred in, and they'll scratch a few times at least. Give them 17 and Louisville 35+, and we're in business. Louisville has elite big-play potential with Caullin Lacy, Chris Bell, and Isaac Brown. Perhaps the "correct" play is a single-game parlay or teaser, where we land Louisville at -6.5 while also dropping this total below 50 points.
Syracuse (-6.5) vs. Connecticut
Tennessee is the pick I had in my queue and didn't publish last week against the Orange, so perhaps I am overreacting. But I'm sold on Syracuse coach Fran Brown. He gets the most out of his team, and the points they produced against the Vols last week are legit. They ran a massive 84 offensive plays, and I don't see them stepping off the gas here. The over is tempting, but I'm generally not a totals guy. They've got a brutal conference schedule on the horizon, which means this isn't a game they can take lightly. Surely they win by a score, right?
Illinois (-3) at Duke
Last week's Alabama - Florida State line felt like a trap, and I bit. This feels the same to me, but I'll bite again. Duke QB Darian Mensah was incredible last week, but I'm not in on their skill pieces providing him a boost against a much more formidable defense. Duke won't have an elite home-field advantage. A slow grind is in store, so the under makes some sense, but give me the more physical Illini to handle business.
Michigan (+5) at Oklahoma
This spread is moving hourly, so be sure to shop around and maximize your coverage if you're buying what I'm selling. It's challenging to get behind Bryce Underwood making his first career road start, but it's also difficult to back the Sooners' offense, which ran for a mere 3.2 ypc against Illinois State last week. They're reportedly getting a health boost across their offensive line, but it's a tall ask to improve that in one week against the Wolverines' front. The total is low (44.5), and I like Michigan to grind this out and keep it close, making the number you find the spread at paramount. Different sportsbooks have different lines for this game, so shop around.
San Diego State (+1.5) at Washington State
The Cougars were hit as hard as any by the portal after last season, and it showed in a meager 13-0 win over Idaho last week. We likely can't take a ton away from SDST's 42-0 win over Stony Brook, but I think they're trending favorably under second-year coach Sean Lewis. Do I wish this spread was more like +3.5, heck yes! But give me the Aztecs to win outright.
Last week: 1-4; Season 1-4
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Greg's Picks
Off to a good start this season as I hit 3/5 games in week one. The wins were on Tennessee, the under in the Ohio State game, and Old Dominion, plus the points at Indiana. Only the Tennessee game was close, so it was a fairly easy path to three wins this past week.
The losses were closer, but it felt like I was on the wrong side the entire time. Alabama simply did not show up on offense, which made it tough to hit the over. Notre Dame was sleeping through most of the game at Miami, and although the Irish made it close in the end, they were never in a position to win that game.
With a full week under our belt now, it should make things easier going forward, but we have to be careful not to overreact to one week of play.
Texas (-36.5) vs. San Jose State
The Texas offense didn't look good last week, so how are they supposed to cover this large number? Well, my theory is that the Longhorn offense struggled for the most part because of the competition and the fact that we were on the road. Now they get to come home and face a defense that won't resemble the Buckeyes at all. Everything that failed to work this past week will work this week; it will be night and day. As for the defense, it held up against what should be a solid Buckeye offense, so I think they'll be able to handle a Spartan offense that only managed 14 points against CMU this past week.
Kansas (+6.5) at Missouri
Missouri has a lot of firepower to replace on the offensive side of the ball this season, and while the Tigers looked great this past week, their opposition left a lot to be desired. The Tigers have essentially played half a game at this point, while Kansas has played two games, well, one and a half if we're discounting for weak competition. In the Jayhawks' case, however, they've had two cracks at getting their offense on track, and they've done just that. They also faced a real team two weeks ago, so they should be better prepared. Kansas goes as Jalon Daniels goes, and so far, he looks to be back to his old self, so I'm expecting a close game here.
Kennesaw State (+35.5) at Indiana
I faded Indiana this past week as it resulted in an easy cover, so I'm going back to the well again this week. My theory this past week was that the Hoosiers were coming off a huge season and with a lot of new parts, they might struggle out of the gate and that's exactly what happened. The Hoosiers won the turnover battle 3-1 and still only won by 13. I think these first few weeks will be used to work out the kinks and as such, it will be tough to cover a number like this. Kennesaw State is not as good as Old Dominion, but the Owls managed to stay within a point, on the road, this past week at Wake Forest. I think they can keep this one close enough to stay within the number.
Over 55.5 
Oklahoma State at 
Oregon
Before we get to the total, how about the spread in this game? I know OSU is not what it used to be, but almost 30 points? That seems a bit insane. Then again, Oregon has the firepower to cover a number like this, so I'm staying away from the side. I will, however, tackle the total, which looks to be a bit too low. The Duck offense is already humming, and if OSU's defense is anything like it was this past year, then there's no reason to think that Oregon scores less than 40 points on Saturday. The question is, can the Cowboys contribute enough to get over this numbe,r and I think the answer is yes. They lost their QB this past week, but it sounds like they've got plenty of weapons remaining.
UNLV (+2.5) vs UCLA
There's a chance I'm overreacting to the thumping the Bruins took from Utah this past week, but it's also possible that things could go south very quickly for the Bruins this season. UCLA brought in QB Nico Iamaleava to much fanfare, but if I'm being honest, I was never a fan of his game at Tennessee. He fared well against poor competition, but didn't get much accomplished against stronger foes. With that said, the Rebels aren't exactly at the level of most SEC teams, but their defense was pretty strong this past year, and if things start poorly again for UCLA, the Bruins could be in trouble. UNLV has yet to face much competition, but the Rebels have handled two weaker teams with eas,e and I'm expecting a strong effort in front of the home crowd this week.
Last Week: 3-2-0 This Season 3-2-0
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Jeff's Picks
On the brink of my first-ever 0-5 result in the Capper, my TCU pick came in and kept me from being winless. Certainly not the way I hoped to begin the season, but with FSU's big win over Alabama and a host of other upsets, it's tough to stay above .500. Although Week 2's slate is less exciting, we need to lick our wounds and dive in.
Over 63.5 
SMU vs.
Baylor
Baylor is a much better team than what they delivered against Auburn. Sawyer Robertson delivered a monster line against the Tigers, but the lack of a dependable running game kept them out of contention. SMU's Kevin Jennings is a special QB in his own right, and he had a very efficient outing in Week 1. The Mustangs also have a solid running game and have a dual-threat passer in Jennings. Betting the Over for this game will be the more popular sharp avenue this week, and while I think SMU is a decent cover pick, there's enough offensive firepower here where a 38-31 total or something similar is certainly doable.
Oklahoma -4.5 vs. Michigan
I rarely shy away from the big games, and this week is no exception. Bryce Underwood looked good in his debut, but he'll now go on the road in a harsh game environment. You can bet that Brent Venables (who will now call the D plays exclusively) will draw up schemes to keep Underwood off his game, and the Sooners' defensive line should be able to limit breakout plays by Michigan's RB tandem. I'm taking Oklahoma due to the home advantage and the Washington State combo of John Mateer and OC Ben Arbuckle coming to Norman. Venables is on the hot seat, and the offense needed a shot in the arm. Arbuckle's scheme should achieve that.
Marshall -10 vs. Missouri State
Both teams enter Week 2 after suffering blowout losses, but Missouri State's glaring blowout loss to USC was far worse than Marshall's loss to Georgia. The Bears continued to struggle against USC's second and third-string offenses, while Marshall withered against a Georgia running game that didn't let up. Marshall's roster is deeper and has more talent, and while they expected to get beaten in Week 1, the Bears are circled as a clear winner for the Thundering Herd. Even if Missouri State's defense improves marginally, Marshall should be able to take care of business here.
OVER 50.5 
Tulane vs. 
South Alabama
This is a simple tale of strong offense vs. weak defense. I originally had Tulane giving 10 points in this game, but a close look at both teams' success in Week 1 indicates that they have the offensive mettle to beat this number with relative ease. My only question here lies with Tulane's ability to stem the Jaguars' passing attack. If the Green Wave neutralizes effectively, this pick is in danger, but I think it's a bit safer than laying Tulane and the points.
USC -28.5 vs. Georgia Southern
I'll be in attendance for this one, and I can hear the boos for Clay Helton already. It'll be an uphill battle for USC's former coach against a Trojan team that is deep, deadly, and laser-focused on a better showing in the Big 10 this season. Although Georgia Southern is a stronger team than Missouri State, they'll get no relief from USC's second string, led by QB Husan Longstreet. Jayden Maiava will still have top billing, but look for USC to rev things up if they move to Longstreet with a big lead. Georgia Southern gave up 527 yards of total offense to Fresno State last week, with 351 of it on the ground. The tandem of Waymond Jordan and Eli Sanders should feast in this game, and they are intriguing prop picks to look at as well.
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Last Week: 1-4-0 Season: 1-4-0
