Football Pick’Ems: The Docket Grows

After a slate of strong records in Week 2, the panel came back downtown earth last week. Nine of our 10 prognosticators missed at least five games.

The outlier was J.T. Chadwell, who topped the totals with a 12-3 record to come charging out of last place and move to second overall with a 29-11 mark. Fun fact, the day the picks came out, J.T. contacted me laughing at himself because he picked Michigan by mistake. That worked out pretty well, since everyone else had Oklahoma.

Thomas Stokes still tops the standings, with a 30-10 overall record.

Here’s the full table:

Thomas Stokes, 30-10 overall, 10-5 last week
J.T. Chadwell, 29-11 overall, 12-3 last week
Scott Felts, 29-11 overall, 10-5 last week
Mike Cox, 28-12 overall, 10-5 last week
Jacob Townsend, 28-12 overall, 9-6 last week
John Moorehouse, 28-12 overall, 10-5 last week
El General Naranja, 26-14 overall, 8-7 last week
Steve Wilmoth, 26-14 overall, 8-7 last week
Mark Vicars, 26-14 overall, 7-8 last week
Mike Roberts, 25-15 overall, 7-8 last week

With that, let’s get to this week’s picks.

MARK VICARS (Owner, I-81 Sports)

• LSU at Ole Miss: Lane is a brilliant coach, but he is starting to really rub me raw.. If Levitt is truly doubtful then I think Ole Miss wins. I think the better quarterback wins.
• Kennesaw State at Tennessee: Tennessee will beat them, but I don’t expect the Vols to run the score up much because of the connections the two coaching staffs have. Basically a father/son  Son rivalry right now.
• West Georgia at ETSU: Bucs bounce back and win a close one.
• Houston at Texas Tech: I’ve spent too much time in Humid Houston.. You can determine how long that is. Texas Tech wins.
• UNC at Clemson: Clemson is that old car that you are still driving that was your pride and joy, but you cant afford to repair it any more and more piece keep falling off (Transfer portal). UNC wins.
• NC State at Vanderbilt: Vandy has their new starting QB. Lets see how it works out.
• Kentucky at Texas A&M: Kentucky was back for about two quarters, lets see if they can make it four quarters now… Texas A&M wins.
• Florida State at Alabama
• SMU at Louisville: Louisville because I still don’t trust SMU.
• Stanford at Duke
• Florida at Auburn: A battle of unbeatens that haven’t played anybody… Auburn because I like their coach.
• West Virginia vs. Virginia: John will be happy this weekend… Virginia wins.
• Austin Peay at West Florida: Lets go Peay… Peay wins.
• Youngstown St at South Dakota St
• Virginia Tech at Maryland: Virginia Tech wins. Maryland’s uniforms are cool though.
• Wofford at Chattanooga: I like dogs.
• Eagles at Titans: Two terms that take T’s: Trash; and Titans. Eagles win.
• Vikings at Bears: Bears win, Vikings lack a quarterback.
• Jaguars at Broncos: Jaguars win, the Broncos looked awful last week.
• Steelers at Patriots: Steelers win, Patriots turned the ball over too much last week.

J.T. CHADWELL (Sports Betting Writer, I-81 Sports)

• LSU @ Ole Miss – Do we really think Lane didn’t have this one circled on his calendar? Classic Lane sleepwalk against LA Tech the first half the week before this game to give Ole Miss fans hope, just to crush them the next week.
• Kennesaw @ Tennessee – Free bingo square here.  Tennessee is fantastic at home against the spread, but this is a layup before Texas comes to town.  Kennesaw +35.5 might be worth a look.
• West Georgia @ ETSU – There is a reason Augusta National was built on the eastern part of the state.  GO BUCS
• Houston @ Texas Tech –  If there were extra points for picking underdogs to win, I might go the opposite way here.  But Texas Tech is good at home, and not like Houston is a team known for showing up in big games.  I would take Houston with the 7.5 points though.
• UNC @ Clemson – Shout out to RG for the Tigers’ Ronan O’Connell.  It’s Tait Reynolds time in Greenville and time to show that old man Belichick what new age football is about.  Clemson rolls.
• NC State @ Vanderbilt – I actually have no idea what will happen here.  Definitely a game I would stay away from if I were in the sportsbook.  Vandy is awful at home and worse as a favorite at home.  NC State is awful on the road and worse as a road underdog.  Give me the better head coach.
• Kentucky @ Texas A&M – Bookmakers continue to give Kentucky respect even after getting slaughtered in the second half against Alabama last week.  Prepare for another L here for the Wildcats.
• Florida State @ Alabama – Florida State is in disarray and now the Athletic Director is gone.  Not ideal for a trip to Alabama.  Alabama wins and covers the 19.5.
• SMU @ Louisville – SMU is a bad road team, and the opener against Florida State did nothing to change that perception.  I’d say most on the Louisville sideline remember how this game went last year and are looking for revenge.
• Stanford @ Duke – Duke has two quality wins in its first two games of the season.  Stanford was reminded what the talent gap is between the top of the conference and the bottom, where they will reside.  Duke wins and covers the 9.5.
• Florida @ Auburn – Auburn has not been overwhelmingly impressive to start the season, so I am going to lean on Florida’s route of FAU being the deciding factor here.  FAU came back to crush Navy, even though Navy made it close late.
• Virginia vs. West Virginia – Virginia is favored by 10, and rightfully so.  The Cavaliers look like the econd best team in the ACC this season.  This could be a tricky one, as West Virginia is always a tough place to play.  Cavaliers get it done, but I wouldn’t mind West Virginia with the 10 points.  Think this one goes over the 52.5.
• Austin Peay @ West Florida – First time these two have ever met as West Florida steps up to FCS this season and has arrived with a bang.  Lets make it 3-0.
• Youngstown State @ South Dakota State – The average rainfall at South Dakota State is around 40% lower than the national average.  Penguins don’t like hot and dry habitats.  Give me the Jackrabbits instead.
• Virginia Tech @ Maryland – What a litmus test for these two programs.  Maryland has vastly improved from last season, and Malik Washington looked fantastic last weekend.  James Franklin was 1-4-1 against the spread as a favorite of less than seven points on the road at Penn State.  Neither fan base will take a loss here lightly. Maryland looks like it has the advantage in the trenches, so give me the Terps.
• Wofford at Chattanooga – If we were making a food chain of mascots in all of college football, Wofford’s would be at about the bottom of the list.  The fact it could take the UTC mascot out in one bite tells me Chattanooga has no shot here.  Wofford rolls.
• Eagles @ Titans – The Titans might not win a game all year.  Cam Ward looks awful, has no weapons around him, and a bad offensive line.  Saleh had a chance at revenge last week against the Jets and the Titans got steamrolled.  They have no chance against the Eagles.
• Vikings @ Bears – Going with the better QB here.  Murray is probably out again for the Vikings, so Wentz will likely get the start.
• Jaguars @ Broncos – Maybe the best or scond best game of the week.  Broncos didn’t really do much of anything well against the Chiefs. Not going to overreact to the Broncos just yet.
• Steelers @ Patriots – Drake Maye was awful at Seattle.  Steelers take a solid defense and a very seasoned QB on the road against a team that choked away game number 1.  Steelers keep this one close and win it late.  Take the under in this one.

SCOTT FELTS, I-81 Sports Contributor

• LSU 31, Ole Miss 28: Lane Kiffin’s highly toxic return to Oxford. Both teams are 2-0; LSU dismantled Clemson 51-10 then handled Louisiana Tech, while Ole Miss survived Louisville and crushed Charlotte. LSU is a slim favorite (-2.5–3.5). The Rebels’ home juice and Trinidad Chambliss’ dual-threat magic make this a coin-flip thriller, but LSU’s elite defense should edge the chaos.
• Tennessee 52, Kennesaw State 10: Vols are massive favorites (-35). After handling Georgia Tech, this is a home cupcake.
• ETSU 28, West Georgia 17: FCS-level scrap. Home field and continuity favor the Buccaneers.
• Texas Tech 34, Houston 24: Both teams are ranked and 2-0 in a Big 12 scrap. Tech is a solid home favorite (-7.5). Houston’s offense has been explosive, but Lubbock nights favor the Red Raiders’ physicality. Cougars hang around early; Tech pulls away late.
• Clemson 24, UNC 17: Clemson slight favorite at home. Heels are still finding their footing under Belichick. Dabo’s defense stiffens.
• Vanderbilt 27, NC State 20: Commodores at home as slight favorites in a winnable early SEC-ish test.
• Texas A&M 35, Kentucky 17: Aggies solid favorites at home after strong starts. Kentucky struggled against Alabama.
• Alabama 42, Florida State 14: Revenge game for the Tide after FSU’s upset last year. Alabama is a massive home favorite (-19.5–20.5) after rolling Kentucky. FSU is reeling from an ugly loss to SMU and front-office drama.  Tide cash the payback check with interest.
• SMU 35, Louisville 31: Near pick’em / Louisville slight favorite. SMU is 2-0 and ranked; Cardinals are 1-1 after the Ole Miss heartbreaker. Expect points.
• Duke 28, Stanford 21: ACC mid-tier battle. Duke’s home edge and recent form win out.
• Auburn 27, Florida 24: Close SEC opener (Florida -2.5 or pick’em). Both 2-0; Gators haven’t been tested, but home field and Golesh’s scheme give the Tigers a slight edge. Jordan-Hare claims another visitor.
• Virginia 28, West Virginia 20: Charlotte is the neutral site for this one. Cavs slight favorites. Virginia has looked sharper early.
• West Florida 31, Austin Peay 17: Home team takes care of business.
• South Dakota State 38, Youngstown State 14: Jackrabbits are the FCS heavyweights at home.
• Virginia Tech 30, Maryland 27: Hokies slight road favorites after strong early showings under Franklin. Typical Franklin Struggle Win loading…
• Chattanooga 27, Wofford 20: SoCon. Home field Mocs get it done.
• Eagles 27, Titans 13: Eagles (1-0) survived the Commanders 24-22 with big plays from Hurts and Barkley. Titans (0-1) looked anemic in a 23-10 loss to the Jets (195 total yards). Philly is a solid road favorite. Saquon and the Eagles D feast on a struggling Titans offense. 
• Bears 34, Vikings 31: Shootout alert. Bears dropped 59 on Carolina; Vikings (minus Kyler Murray early) still beat Green Bay 39-22 with Flores’s blitz-happy D. Chicago’s home offense is scary right now. Caleb Williams keeps the fireworks going in a classic NFC North barnburner.
• Jaguars 24, Broncos 17: Jags looked sharp in a 34-10 thrashing of Cleveland. Broncos got embarrassed 31-10 by the Chiefs on MNF. Denver’s offense needs answers; Jacksonville’s momentum is real. Trevor Lawrence and the Jags spoil the Mile High return.
• Steelers 23, Patriots 16: Steelers grounded out a 20-13 win over Atlanta behind T.J. Watt and the D. Patriots lost a defensive slog 13-10 to Seattle. Pittsburgh’s physical style travels better early. Watt and the Steel Curtain make life miserable in Foxborough.

JOHN MOOREHOUSE (Editor in Chief, I-81 Sports)

• LSU at Ole Miss: Nothing like a good villain to move the needle and create interest, and college football has a great heel with Kiffin at LSU. The Tigers enter an extremely hostile environment and win anyway. Vols can expect this same script in November.
• Kennesaw State at Tennessee: The Vols win handily. Next week in Neyland Stadium will be one of the big games on the schedule.
• West Georgia at ETSU: WGU is in disarray with an interim coach, uncertainty at quarterback, and a scuffling offense. The Bucs should win handily but if the defense keeps busting coverages, it could be closer than it needs to be.
• Houston at Texas Tech: Sorely tempted to take the Cougars to score the upset.
• UNC at Clemson: The Tar Heels are a mess.
• NC State at Vanderbilt: When an ACC team plays an SEC team, it’s usually a good call to pick the SEC squad.
• Kentucky at Texas A&M: Not quite a “free square” as J.T. calls it, but close.
• Florida State at Alabama: Sports media love the themes of revenge and redemption. We get the first one here.
• SMU at Louisville: The Mustangs keep winning games they probably shouldn’t. I think it happens again.
• Stanford at Duke: To quote one of my favorite movie characters, “I know, let’s have a spelling contest!”
• Florida at Auburn: They’ll be happy down at Colonial Heights Animal Hospital.
• West Virginia vs. Virginia: Last time these teams played was the final hurrah for the pep band.
• Austin Peay at West Florida: The Argonauts (love the nickname) are trying to become the first team to beat ranked goes in each of their first three games at the Division I level. There’s a reason that hasn’t ever happened.
• Youngstown State at South Dakota State: My Messenger will be burning up with updates from Thomas from this one.
• Virginia Tech at Maryland: Weird behavior by James Franklin in the presser this week, huh? Terps are better than people realize.
• Wofford at Chattanooga: The Terriers look like an under-the-radar contender in the SoCon to me.
• Eagles at Titans: It’s a horse race between the Titans and the Browns right now for the worst team in the NFL.
• Vikings at Bears: Growing up, the Bears were my team. My buddy Al will get to relish that celebratory pho.
• Jaguars at Broncos: Not saying the Jaguars are elite (wrestling fans get it), but the Broncos look far from it right now.
• Steelers at Patriots: There’s not a current athlete I dislike more than Rodgers.

MIKE COX, Voice of the Patriots on 93.7 The Fan

• LSU 38, Ole Miss 35. Can they both lose? As a maroon-wearing, degree-holding Bulldog from Mississippi State, a tie would be the best result. But since the NCAA made rules against it (circa 1996, I think), this seems the most plausible outcome. I may not like Lane Kiffin for two reasons, but that doesn’t trump my annoyance for That School Up North. Tigers win. We’ll have this on 93.7 The Fan starting at 7:30 Saturday!
• Tennessee 55, Kennesaw State 7.
• ETSU 23, West Georgia 16.
• Texas Tech 24, Houston 17.
• Clemson 10, North Carolina 6.
• Vanderbilt 24, NC State 21. This one leads off our CFB coverage on 93.7 The Fan starting at 11 AM. Football all day long!
• Texas A&M 33, Kentucky 17.
• Alabama 35, Florida State 17.
• SMU 28, Louisville 24.
• Duke 38, Stanford 10.
• Florida 21, Auburn 20.
• Virginia 23, West Virginia 14.
• Austin Peay 13, West Florida 10.
• South Dakota State 30, Youngstown State 17.
• Virginia Tech 28, Maryland 14.
• Chattanooga 19, Wofford 14.
• Eagles 40, Titans 19.
• Bears 24, Vikings 17. Maybe I’m over confident over the big win over the Panthers, but I’m thinking a division win might be in the cards for my Bears this year. 2-0 would be a fine start!
• Broncos 20. Jaguars 19.
• Patriots 26, Steelers 24.

MIKE ROBERTS (Contributor, I-81 Sports)

• Ole Miss over LSU
• Tennessee over Kennesaw State
• ETSU over West Georgia
• Texas Tech over Houston
• Clemson over UNC
• NC State over Vanderbilt
• Texas A&M over Kentucky
• Alabama over Florida State
• Louisville over SMU
• Stanford over Duke
• Auburn over Florida
• West Virginia over Virginia
• Austin Peay over West Florida
• South Dakota State over Youngstown State
• Virginia Tech over Maryland
• Chattanooga over Wofford
• Eagles over Titans
• Bears over Vikings
• Broncos over Jaguars
• Patriots over Steelers

THOMAS STOKES (FCS Writer, I-81 Sports)

• LSU over Ole Miss
• Tennessee over Kennesaw State: I wish the Vols beat them by 100, after how KSU acted in the 2021 playoff game on the sideline.
• ETSU over West Georgia: The Wolves have no idea who they want to be quarterback, their coach is still suspended, and it is in Johnson City. ETSU must win this game.
• Houston over Texas Tech
• Clemson over UNC
• Vanderbilt over NC State
• Texas A&M over Kentucky: Big fan of Ray Comey as he began at ETSU before going to Tulsa.
• Alabama over Florida State
• SMU over Louisville
• Duke over Stanford
• West Virginia over Virginia
• Auburn over Florida
• West Florida over Austin Peay: West Florida will accomplish something that I don’t think has ever been done. Beating three top 25 teams in their first three games as a Division 1 school.
• South Dakota State over Youngstown State: I really want to take the Penguins and if it was in Ohio I would. I just think Brookings will be the X factor for this game. Both schools are strong contenders for a championship battle in Nashville when the time comes.
• Virginia Tech over Maryland
• Wofford over Chattanooga: Special teams making plays like they have for Wofford so far this year will be the reason the Terriers win.
• Eagles over Titans
• Bears over Vikings
• Jaguars over Broncos
• Patriots over Steelers

JACOB TOWNSEND (Host of the Morning Monster, WXSM)

• LSU at Ole Miss – Going with the home team. I think Trinidad Chambliss is the difference against his old coaches Lane Kiffin and Charlie Weis Jr.
• Kennesaw at Tennessee – Former Vols assistant Jerry Mack’s squad is testy, but not enough to make it interesting inside Neyland on Saturday night.
• West Georgia at ETSU – I’ll go with the Bucs and stick to preseason predictions on them so far. The West Georgia situation with new head coach Steve Engelhart is puzzling, since he hasn’t actually coached a game yet. ETSU’s defense scares me in a bad way, but the offense makes enough plays.
• Houston at Texas Tech – Red Raiders had issues in Corvallis Saturday night, but at home on a Friday, I’ll take the home team in a, dare I say, Monster Big 12 game in early September.
• UNC at Clemson – Clemson’s been less than impressive early this year with a trouncing at the hands of LSU in Week 1 and the pillow fight win over Georgia Southern last Saturday night, but I think they’re still the better team over UNC. Give me a first for the freshman starter for the Tigers at QB.
• NC State at Vanderbilt – Speaking of less than impressive, I’m not sure we’re at a point with Vanderbilt where we can be critical of the Commodores while they’re 2-0, but it’s been underwhelming to start 2026. Less than a 20-point win against a quality FCS team in Austin Peay and a grind out win over Group of 6 foe, Delaware, leaves me wanting more, but I’ll still take Clark Lea’s squad at home.
• Kentucky at Texas A&M – I think Alabama is better than A&M, but I believe the Aggies will be more impressive in their win over Kentucky than the Crimson Tide were this past week. Will Stein’s first road SEC game will not be too pretty in front of the 12th Man in College Station.
• Florida State at Alabama – It’s a revenge game for the Crimson Tide after the embarrassing loss at the hands of the Seminoles in Tallahassee in Week 1 of 2025. Mike Norvell’s boss just got fired, he’s probably not far behind. Keelon Russell was subpar on the road at Kroger Field, I think he’ll bounce back nicely at home against FSU.
• SMU at Louisville – I believe this is a battle for the second-best team in the ACC behind Miami. When we look back at the season in late November/early December, I believe this game will have a major hand in deciding who stands across from the Hurricanes in Charlotte for the ACC Championship. I’ll take Jeff Brohm’s squad. I thought Lincoln Kienholz responded well in the second half against Ole Miss in Week 1 after a rough first half. Tough, gritty, seems like everything you would expect from a Brohm quarterback.
• Stanford at Duke – Manny Diaz’s squad had the biggest win of Week 2 for the ACC, and probably the biggest win of the season so far for the conference, on the road at Illinois. This could be a let down game for the Blue Devils against the Cardinal, but any performance should be enough for a VERY bad Stanford squad.
• Florida at Auburn – I know there is a lot of focus on The Grove this week in the SEC, but this game on The Plains is fascinating. Which first year head coach picks up a notable win and probably puts their team into the Top 25 going into next week? I’ll take the home team in a spot where it always gets weird at Jordan-Hare Stadium.
• West Virginia vs. Virginia – Tony Elliott’s team made me look foolish in Week 0 for doubting against NC State. I will not be fooled a second time. I’ll put my trust in Elliott and Beau Pribula in the Queen City.
• Austin Peay at West Florida – I think Jeff Faris’ squad is good. I’ll take the Governors to take an early advantage in the UAC standings. Unzip your fly and let’s go…
• Youngstown State at South Dakota State – A battle between penguins and jackrabbits would be fascinating on a gridiron, but we’ll settle for the football players this time around. Give me South Dakota State.
• Virginia Tech at Maryland – Hello James. Hello James. Hello Jimmy. (As the kids, which actually means the old folks on Facebook, would say- iykyk) I’ll take the Hokies. Better coach, by a lot. That will matter in this one. Also, the ACC won two games over the Big Ten this past week with Duke over Illinois and Wake Forest over Purdue, I’ll take the lunch pail over the Terps.
• Wofford at Chattanooga – Wofford started off the season with a dominant showing against The Citadel, I don’t think this one will be as one-sided, but I’ll take the Terriers in the Scenic City. Keep an eye out for Mocs underneath the bus in Rusty Wright’s postgame presser.
• Eagles at Titans – Strange line on this one. Eagles only a seven-point favorite at the time of these picks being submitted. That has my attention… but I’ll still take Philadelphia in what should be a heavy green presence at Nissan Stadium on Sunday.
• Vikings at Bears – The Bears defense doesn’t look to have improved during the offseason, but they still can score. That will be what matters in this one.
• Jaguars at Broncos – I’ll take Denver to bounce back at home.
• Steelers at Patriots – Drake Maye can’t look that bad two weeks in a row, right? I’ll say no. Give me New England.

STEVE WILMOTH (TriCitiesSports.com Vice President Publishing & Technology)

• LSU 27, Ole Miss 23 – Sometimes…you can be TOO hype
• Tennessee
• ETSU
• Texas Tech – college football games on Friday suck
• North Carolina
• Vanderbilt
• Texas A&M
• Alabama
• SMU
• Duke
• Florida
• Virginia
• Austin Peay
• South Dakota State – Go Jackrabbits
• Virginia Tech
• Chatty
• Eagles
• Bears
• Broncos
• Pats

El General Naranja, Man of Mystery

Editor’s Note: El General Naranja is our Mystery Predictor, a man weathered and hardened from battles from the gridiron and the squared circle. 

Greetings all you Egg Sucking Dogs, I still have the mask and all my hair for you doubting scumbags who thought I would lose my match last Friday night in Greenville SC ! 

On with the picks!

• LSU – Just when Ole Miss thinks they have all the answers , Lane changes the questions, just like the great one Roddy Piper.
• Tennessee – The Vols roll
• ETSU
• Tx Tech – This will be a Texas death match
• UNC – Dabo in trouble
• NC State
• Texas A&M
• Bama – The Tide makes thing worst for the poor boys from Florida
• SMU
• Duke – The Blue Devils in a battle of Brains
• Florida
• UVA
• Austin Peay
• South Dakota St
• Virginia Tech
• Chattanooga
• Eagles
• Bears
• Broncos – Denver gets back on track
• Patriots