I’d be fairly confident in taking UH and laying 27.5. Though they’re at UAB, the weather is supposed to be clear and sunny. UAB is by all accounts horrible and UH is averaging over 50 points a game. So, you’d have to imagine UAB scoring 21+ (which is possible, especially as bad as UH plays defense) in order to cover. I think UH will turn up the score in an attempt to impress voters. UH QB Case Keenum is going for the NCAA FBS career passing mark that day too. He needs ~280 yds to get it, and might get it before halftime, especially since UAB is 108th in the country in pass defense.
All that said, UH has a terrible habit of playing down to the level of its competition. Rice was beating them like a gong last Thursday until the rain stopped. They had to come back from 27 down against LA Tech. I still think they’ll cover.
Other games: Colorado is banged up and atrocious. Even away, take USC and lay the three TDs.
I actually like LSU, since I’m getting 4.5, and I think this’ll be a 17-16, 24-20 kind of game. Not super confident in it, but gun-to-head, that’s who I’d pick.
The Stanford/Oregon State game smells like a trap game to me. Not that Stanford will lose, but covering 21 on the road might be troublesome. OSU isn’t good, at all (they lost to Cal State Sacramento, for crying out loud. At home.) but they’ve kept the bleeding somewhat under control at home. (10 to BYU, 8 to UCLA) I’d stay away.
A lot of interesting questions in the rest of your list: Can Iowa slow down Denard Robinson? Which Tech team shows up to play Texas? Can Arkansas at home get it going against a feisty SC defense? Should be interesting to watch.
Considering my recent success (or rather, lack there of), on my Saturday “investments”, I may decide to use this if there are one-sided results. I have a couple of games that I’m already locked into, but I won’t reveal those yet.
But I will certainly share my final selections, since you requested this!
I’ll give my selections in the morning, to give others time to vote. I won’t be taking USC tonight. While Colorado is really bad, USC hasn’t beaten anyone by more than 21 points this year. I assume that USC will still cover, but not strongly enough to bet on them. They’re a young warm-weather team, on the road in a cold environment, in thin air, against a team who will probably be playing like it’s their Super Bowl.
If anything, Colorado and the 21 points is sounding like the better bet. But I’m going to lay off completely.
Dan Hawkins left Colorado with a bunch of WAC level players in starting positions. On top of that, they have been beaten up like no team I can ever recall. Their #1 QB was lost to a concussion (though back for tonight), their team MVP and #1 RB is out, likely for the season, their #1 WR is out for the season, their #1 tackler and middle linebacker is out for the season, and get this - they have lost 10 DB’s. Ten!. A few weeks ago their starting cornerbacks were two seniors. Sounds good until you find out one played three years as a RB and the other was a WR. The WR had never played defense before, even in HS. He had one week to learn the position and go up against Andrew Luck. They have scout team players in the defensive backfield. I think Barkley will eat them up.
I hear you, and Lamar too. But it takes alot for me to bet on a road team in college game. BC is really bad too, and I thought all day about taking Florida State last night. I didn’t, now wish I had. Maybe I’ll take USC for a small amount. Interestingly, the line has dropped to 20.5, so someone is on Colorado.