Season record: 9-14-1

Last week: 2-3 (Michigan -21.5, Oklahoma -10.5, Clemson -27, Michigan State/Wisconsin under 40.5, Missouri -11.5)

It was another less than stellar week for me. All the teams I picked won, but did not cover their respective spreads. That is the tricky part of picking favorites.

Onward we go…

Pittsburgh Panthers (4-2) @ Syracuse Orange (3-3) | October 18 | 6:00 PM CT | Carrier Dome

Line: Pittsburgh -3.5 | Total: 52

After a 1-2 start, Pittsburgh has won three straight.

Pittsburgh’s defense has been the strength of their team. The Panthers have held opponents to under 300 yards per game. They are also among the nation’s leaders in team sacks with 4.5 per game. That figures to be pivotal against Syracuse who gave up 8 sacks against North Carolina State last week.

I am taking Pittsburgh -3.5.

Iowa State Cyclones (4-2) @ Texas Tech Red Raiders (3-3) | October 19 | 11:00 AM CT | Jones AT&T Stadium

Line: Iowa State -7 | Total: 55.5

Texas Tech has gotten rolling offensively in the past two weeks. Behind new starting quarterback Jett Duffey, the Red Raiders have averaged 548 yards in their last two games.

Iowa State has been dominant since suffering a loss to Baylor three weeks ago. The Cyclones defeated TCU by a score of 49-24 then went to West Virginia and won 38-14.

Iowa State quarterback Brock Purdy leads the Big 12 with 301 yards per game. The Cyclones also have one of the top defenses in Big 12, allowing 322 yards per game.

Normally defense travels, but this is Lubbock, Texas. Look for points aplenty. I am taking over 55.5.

 LSU Tigers (6-0) @ Mississippi State Bulldogs (3-3) |October 19 | 2:30 PM CT | Davis Wade Stadium

Line: LSU -18.5 | Total: 61.5

LSU leads the nation in scoring offense with 52.5 points per game. The Tigers will face a Mississippi State defense that gives up 6.2 yards per play (101st in the country).

Mississippi State has also struggled offensively. That was highlighted in their loss to Tennessee last week. The Bulldogs had only 267 yards of offense and turned it over three times.

If Mississippi State is to keep it close, they will need to run the ball. Unfortunately, LSU is only giving up 2.83 yards per rush.

This is a potential “trap” game for LSU between the big Florida win and the upcoming matchup with Auburn. However, I can assure you Ed Orgeron has reminded his team of the 37-7 beatdown the Tigers received last time they played in this stadium.

LSU -18.5 is the pick.

South Florida Bulls (3-3) @ Navy Midshipmen (4-1) | October 19 | 2:30 PM CT | Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium

Line: Navy -14 | Total: 51.5

South Florida has won two in a row. However, they came against UConn and BYU, who are a combined 3-9.

Navy presents a more difficult challenge. The Midshipmen have a high-powered rushing attack averaging 327 yards per game. The South Florida rush defense has been suspect as well. Last week BYU ran for 218 yards against them.

South Florida will start freshman Jordan McCloud at quarterback. McCloud has had issues with accuracy and thrown five interceptions in his last three games.

I am going with Navy -14.

Texas A&M Aggies (3-3) @ Ole Miss Rebels (3-4) | October 19 | 6:30 PM CT | Vaught-Hemingway Stadium

Line: Texas A&M -6.5 | Total: 54.5

The Ole Miss offense has seen a rejuvenation with the implementation of freshman quarterback John Rhys Plumlee. Plumlee has rushed for over 100 yards in his last three games and accounted for eight touchdowns in that span. The Rebels have also scored at least 31 points in all three of those games.

The Aggies have already lost to one team starting a true freshman at quarterback in Auburn with Bo Nix. Perhaps they should bring in former quarterback Johnny Manziel to mimic the scrambling ability of Plumlee.

Texas A&M is coming off of a 47-28 loss to Alabama. Now the Aggies make their first road game since early September where they lost at Clemson.

I just do not trust Texas A&M right now. Statistically, Kellen Mond seems fine, but sacks are becoming a problem. Mond has been sacked twelve times in his last three games. Ole Miss is second in the SEC with 18 sacks on the season.

Give me Ole Miss +6.5.

Michigan Wolverines (5-1) @ Penn State Nittany Lions (6-0) | 6:30 PM CT | Beaver Stadium

Line: Penn State -9 | Total: 47

This was supposed to be the year that Michigan took the next step. So far, we have not seen that. The expectations were high for quarterback Shea Patterson, and outside of the Rutgers game, we have not seen him play at a high level in 2019. Patterson is completing 57% of his passes, the lowest mark since his freshman year.

Patterson and the Michigan offense will have their hands full with the Penn State defense. The Nittany Lions are second in the country, only giving up 8.2 yards per game. They are downright stingy, allowing only 259.7 yards per game, and they get after the quarterback, with 27 sacks on the season. Their pass rush is led by defensive ends, Shaka Toney and Yetur Gross-Matos, who both have 5.5 sacks this season. I expect this pass rush to get to Patterson early and often.

Penn State has proven that they can be explosive on offense. Their most explosive player is K.J. Hamler, who has 455 yards and 5 touchdowns on the season.

When he gets the ball in space, watch out.

We cannot forget that this game will be a “White Out” game, either.

Penn State -9 is the pick.

OUTTA HERE!