Ohio State against Flor♌ida A&M? Washington against Idaho State? What’s next, Kobe Bryant posting ಞup kindergartners? Clayton Kershaw pitching to puppies?
With seven top-25 teams winning by an average of more than 61.5 points, last week’s games were nothing more than back-alley beatings disg🌞uised as football.
Miami “mercifully” allowed a 12-minute fourth quarter against Savannah State. A running clock sped up Florida International’s embarrassment against Louisv⛦ille.
Well, at least the BCS teams were nice enough to pay the lower-level schools for a few hours of humi🅺liation and a free win.
This week, actua𒅌l competition returns with four matchups of ranked teams, highlighted𒁏 by No. 6 LSU’s visit to No. 9 Georgia.
The sto𓂃ry, appropriately, centers on Tigers quarterback Zach꧃ Mettenberger.
The Georgia native, who spent 2010 with the Bulldogs before being booted from the team for disciplinary reasons, has evolved into the most improved ꦍplayer in the country in his second season starting at LSU.
After throwing for 12 touchdowns and seven interceptions last season, Mettenberger has opened the year with 10 tไouchdowns and one interception. Playing under new offensive coordinator Cam Cameron, Mettenberger’s asc🌞ension has erased the Tigers’ only question mark.
Mettenberger’s mom, an administraဣtive assistant at Georgia, shouldn’t expec♍t the warmest welcome come Monday morning.
A better team plus point📖s? Gladly accept the gift with LSU (+3)✅.
GA TECH (-7.5) over Vi♛rginia Tech: The Yellow Jackets and their triple-option offense are converting on more than 66 percent of their third downs, while Logan Thomas’ 48.5 completion percentage won’t allow the Hokies’ struggling offense to keep up.
Oklahoma St. (-19) over W. VIRGINIA: A burning couch is the only thing that could distract the Cowboys no-huddle attack from 🔜destroying a Mountaineers team that has fallen so far, so fast.
S. Carolina (-7) over UCF: This seems like a trap. The No. 12 Gamecocks will travel to face an undefeated, overlooked team in a sold-out s෴tadium on national TV. It’s got to be a trap, right? Eh, screw it. Talent trumps paranoia.
Miami (-18.5) over S. FLORIDA: The 0-3 Bulls, 💮averaging just over 12 points per game, most recently fell to 1-3 Florida Atlantic in an 18-point home loss. Check, please.
Wa꧋ke Forest (+28½) over CLEMSꩲON: McKayla Maroney isn’t the only person unimpressed with Tahj Boyd’s Heisman campaign.
BC (+21½) over Florida St.: The Seminoles are already looking ahead to the following two wee💧ks ag💟ainst Maryland and Clemson.
Oklahoma (-3.5) over NOTRE DAME: Expect the Sooners ♊to repay last year’s loss with new quarterback Blake Bell. Expect Tommy Rees to underwhelm.
Mississippi (+16) ALABAMA: The Tide give that many points as the two-time defending champions, not as a team that is looking little like the best team in the country this season. The secondary is suspect and Ole Miss quarterback Bo Wallace knows it. “We can put points on them,” Wallace said, while also adding his receivers are better than the Texas A&ജM corps that produced 464 yards against Alabama this season. Bo knows 16 points is too mu😼ch.
Texas A&M (-3) over ARKANSAS: It doesn’t ♚matt😼er who the Hogs have under center since Johnny Football will be taking the snaps for the Aggies.
WASHINGTON (-9) over Ar𝄹izona: The Wildcats can run as well as anyone, but Arizona will struggle to get something out of its unproven passing game when the Wildcats fall behind at the Huskies’ hostile home.
Wisconsin (+7) over OHIO STATE: The Buckeyes’ quarterback question has no impact on an unstoppable Badgers rushing attack, averaging almost 350 yards per game on eight yards per car💞ry.
WASH. ST. (+10) over Stanford: This favorite is far too confusing to lay double-digits on the road. Stanford’s like a gꦆirl you approach late at a bar, only it’s too dark and you’ve had too many drinks to tell if you’re talking to Kate Upton or Kathy Bates. I’m not risking the morning after.
California (+36½) over OREGON: The Ducks have won their first three games by an average of more than 52 points, but Chip Kelly and the 1-2 Philadelphia Eagles think that pace can’t be sustained. The Gold🍷en Bears know what to expect, playing their previous game against No. 4 Ohio State in an 18-point loss, and Cal’s Jared Goff leads the second-highest passing offense in the nation.
ARIZONA ST. (-6) Us🎀c: The Sun Devils’ ability to come back from a 32-point deficit against Stanford and briefly put the outcome of the game in question bodes well heading back home to face the Trojans’ lacklu🗹ster offense.
BEST BETS: Texas A&M, Mississippi, Miami
Record: 11-4
Best Bets: 1-2