Picks ATS – Championship Week
| Staff | W-L | Last Week | GB |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mason | 43-26-2 | 3-2 | — |
| Gabe | 40-29-2 | 3-2 | 3 |
| Alec | 37-32-2 | 3-2 | 6 |
PAC-12: #11 UTAH vs #4 USC -2.5, 7:00 PM FRIDAY FOX
Mason: The Trojans lost this game in a thrilling regular season matchup, but they have a lot more riding on Friday night’s game. Caleb Williams and Lincoln Riley get even more revenge on Oklahoma. Long live TBOW (The Best out West)!
The Pick: USC -2.5
Alec: Earlier this season when USC fell on the road at Utah, the Utes were playing on a night that they honored fallen teammates and it was a night game. Caleb Williams has been on a ridiculous tear the last couple weeks and looks like he’s on his way to winning the Heisman as a sophomore. Fight On!
The Pick: USC -2.5
Gabe: USC’s lone loss this season came against this Utes team in a game that the Trojans led throughout before Utah stunned them with a late 2-point conversion. USC’s defense is super reliant on takeaways and has been the beneficiary of some incredible turnover luck this season (they are +23 in turnover margin, no other team in the nation is better than +14). I think Utah’s defense is a tad overrated given that it has beat up on the bottom of the Pac-12 in recent weeks and gave up 41 points to this USC group in Salt Lake City earlier this year. Caleb Williams has a Heisman moment and the Trojans secure the Pac-12’s first College Football Playoff bid since the 2016 season.
The Pick: USC -2.5
BIG 12: #10 K-State vs #3 TCU -2.5, 11:00 AM ABC
Mason: K-State +2.5
Alec: K-State +2.5
Gabe: K-State +2.5
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SEC: #14 LSU vs #1 GEORGIA -18.5, 3:00 PM CBS
Mason: I am conflicted on this pick. I think Georgia is still really good but can see the avenue to where LSU covers. But that loss to Texas A&M was disgusting and I am not a big Brian Kelly guy. So I will ride with the Dawgs to win, but big number and enough talent to hang tough, give me the Tigers.
The Pick: LSU +18.5
Alec: When Georiga decides they want to play their best game, they slaughter their opponents. Look at their wins over Oregon, South Carolina and Tennessee. But when they’re bored they play close games vs. lesser teams like Missouri and Georgia Tech. Not winning the SEC a year ago makes me think the Dawgs will be motivated.
The Pick: Georgia -18.5
Gabe: Georgia could do whatever it wants this weekend and still make the College Football Playoff. While 18.5 points is a lot to lay in a game like this and LSU could secure a Sugar Bowl bid with a win, I think Georgia takes care of business against a Tigers team that just wasted a slim chance at a playoff appearance with its play in College Station last weekend.
The Pick: Georgia -18.5
AAC: #22 UCF vs #18 TULANE -3.5, 3:00 PM ABC
Mason: We in the K-State community know what Tulane can do and this feels like a well-deserved season for Willie Fritz. He has announced he is coming back to the Green Wave next year as well, I think the team will find a way to win for him, plus the line keeps moving in Tulane’s favor. Tulane is also looking to avenge their only conference loss of the season on Saturday.
The Pick: Tulane -3.5
Alec: Willie Fritz was going to leave his team for the Georiga Tech job, but the Green Wave’s head coach decided to back out of a job that he was reported to be accepting to stay with his Tulane team. I think the Wave play with some extra motivation, but look for the Knights to do something to make this exciting late.
The Pick: Tulane -3.5
Gabe: UCF won this game during the regular season even when they had to go to Tulane to play it. Rumors swirled around Tulane head coach Willie Fritz regarding whether or not he was going to leave the job, creating some uncertainty during this week. I think Tulane still wins the game and I’ll take the team that is 10-2 against the spread this season to cover once again.
The Pick: Tulane -3.5
B1G: PURDUE vs #2 MICHIGAN -16.5, 7:00 PM FOX
Mason: Gross game. Michigan by a lot of points.
The Pick: Michigan -16.5
Alec: Last season in the Big Ten Championship game, a lot of people thought that Iowa could give Michigan a game. But the Wolverines smoked the Hawkeyes 42-3. I don’t think many people are being fooled this year, and despite Blake Corum being out for the season, the Wolverines win their second straight Big Ten title.
The Pick: Michigan -16.5
Gabe: Jeff Brohm is 3-0 against top-3 ranked teams. That stat seems incredible and hard to continue, but I think Purdue can at least make this a competitive game. Hopefully this is one of the last years with a division system in the Big Ten, though, as the Big Ten West didn’t deserve to put anyone in this game.
The Pick: Purdue +16.5
ACC: #9 CLEMSON vs #23 NORTH CAROLINA +7.5, 7:00 PM ABC
Mason: This game will be miserable as well, it means nothing in the grand scheme of things and both teams are coming off momentum-killing losses last week. I like Drake Maye’s ability, but North Carolina’s defense is suspect. Good news for them is that Clemson struggles on offense. I think the Tar Heels pull the stunner and win the ACC.
The Pick: North Carolina +7.5
Alec: This game lacks a lot of intriguing storylines because each team enters the game with two losses and there are no CFP implications. Drake Maye has struggled for the last two weeks, but I think Maye responds this week against a strong Clemson defensive line. I wouldn’t be shocked to see the Tar Heels win this game.
The Pick: North Carolina +7.5
Gabe: Clemson just isn’t a trustworthy team given their quarterback and offensive situation. Dabo Swinney can say all he wants about DJ Uiagalelei not being the one dropping passes, but the execution just isn’t there. On the other side, North Carolina has a quarterback who does more than his fair share, but a defense that isn’t always up to par. I’ll just err on the side of taking the points in this one.
The Pick: North Carolina +7.5
