Football Pick’Ems: What a week

Another banner week for some of our prognosticators, not so much for the others. Jacob Townsend topped the list for accuracy for the week at 15-5, which vaulted him to the top of the overall standings at 43-17. For the guy who has his own radio show, we’ll never hear the end of this as long as he holds the top spot. 

Radio guys populate the top two spots in the table, as Mike Cox is second at 14-18 after a 14-6 record last week. 

How will our panelists handle the most loaded week of games yet? The college schedule is absolutely loaded with fantastic matchups.

Here’s the current standings, before we get into the picks: 

Jacob Townsend, 15-5 last week, 43-17 overall
Mike Cox, 14-6, 42-18
J.T. Chadwell, 12-8, 41-19
Scott Felts, 12-8, 41-19
Thomas Stokes, 11-9, 41-19
Mike Roberts, 15-5, 40-20
Steve Wilmoth, 14-6, 40-20
El General Naranja, 13-7, 39-21
John Moorehouse, 11-9, 39-21
Mark Vicars, 12-8, 38-22

MARK VICARS (Owner, I-81 Sports)

• Tennessee over Texas
• Western Carolina over ETSU
• Ole Miss over Florida
• Oregon over USC
• LSU over Texas A&M
• Iowa over Michigan
• Mississippi State over Missouri
• Ohio State over Illinois
• Virginia Tech over Boston College
• Georgia over Oklahoma
• Utah over Iowa State
• Montana over UC Davis
• Montana State over Northern Arizona
• Tennessee Tech over Wofford
• VMI over Samford
• Auburn over Vanderbilt
• Wisconsin over Penn State
• Alabama over South Carolina
• Maryland over UCLA
• Oklahoma State over West Virginia
• Titans over Giants

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

• Texas @ Tennessee – Here we go!  Massive game for the Vols to make a statement and jump into the playoff race in the comfy confines of Neyland Stadium.  Spoiler alert: Tennessee is 0-13 against the number 1 ranked team since 2000 with an average margin of defeat of just over 25 points per loss.  Not good.  Hook ’em Horns. Texas wins and covers the 5.5.
• Western Carolina @ ETSU – Who needs a defense when you have a quarterback like Mason Mims.  GO BUCS
• Ole Miss @ Florida – Full write up on the Cheat Sheet.  Short version: Vegas knows, trust me.
• Oregon @ USC – Another write up on the Cheat Sheet.  I like points here, but I am just not sold that Oregon’s season ends this early.  They definitely have defensive issues and Dante Moore needs to step up.  In the end, Oregon needs it more and USC is 0-5 straight up as a home underdog since 2020.
• Texas A&M @ LSU – Another one here where if we got extra points for picking the upset I probably go the other way.  But in the end, LSU is 27-2 as a home favorite straight up since 2020 and Texas A&M is 1-7 as a road underdog, and 11-14 on the road regardless.  Too much home field advantage for LSU in a night game in Baton Rouge, but Aggies cover the 9.5.
• Iowa @ Michigan – One more from the Cheat Sheet.  Take Iowa with the 5.5.  And let’s take Iowa to get the upset, they are 7-7 as a road dog straight up since 2020.
• Missouri @ Mississippi State – In 3 weeks time, Kamario Taylor has gone from 150/1 to 10/1 to win the Heisman Trophy.  He is a superstar and unlike many players this day and age in college football, plays the game with pride for the Mississippi State logo.  The Taylor train keeps chugging along this week.
• Illinois @ Ohio State – It will get tougher for the Buckeyes later on in the season.  This week is not one of those. 
• Virginia Tech @ Boston College – I can remember a time when Boston College would’ve had a chance to win this game.  This week I had a hard time remembering they were even in FBS.  
• Oklahoma @ Georgia – When on the road in the SEC, you have to establish a run game.  Oklahoma is 97th in FBS in rush yards per game, while Georgia is 6th in FBS at stopping it.  Georgia pushes it to 4-0.
• Utah @ Iowa State – I would probably take the points with Iowa State at home in this one.  Iowa State has had a nice rushing attack to start the season (7th in FBS), but Utah has been equally as good at stopping it (7th in FBS).
• Montana @ UC Davis – Not much separates these two, but did you know that UC Davis most famous alum Charles Rice won a nobel prize?  No one from Montana has done that.  Aggies roll
• Northern Arizona @ Montana State – The early to mid 90’s SportsCenter on ESPN with the likes of Dan Patrick, Steve Levy and Montana State alum and comedian Craig Kilborn was fantastic TV.  That’s enough for me to go with Montana State here.
• Tennessee Tech @ Wofford – Road games can bring adversity even for good teams.  Tennessee Tech alum Rodney Atkins knows a thing or two about that in his song “If you’re going through hell”.  That’s the inspiration the Golden Eagles need this week. 
• VMI @ Samford – Did you know Bobby Bowden graduated from Samford (before it was named Samford)? No way they lose this week with that pedigree.
• Vanderbilt @ Auburn – Final game on this list that’s also on the Cheat Sheet.  Take the points with Vandy, but Auburn will squeak by.
• Wisconsin @ Penn State – Another game this week I would be inclined to take the points given.  Penn State is typically good at home, so they will get the job done, but I wouldn’t mind the extra 10 points with Wisconsin.
• South Carolina @ Alabama – Alabama is seemingly playing every game at home this season.  And they’re the best at that in FBS power conference games.  Bama wins again.
• UCLA @ Maryland – I am giving Maryland one more chance here against softer competition than last week.
• Oklahoma State @ West Virginia – Definitely like the over more than either side, but I think Oklahoma State is only going to get better and better as the season goes along.
• Titans @ Giants – Just an unfathomably bad game that no one should be forced to watch.  Sunday afternoon the high is 72 and sunny all day.  Please enjoy the day outside instead of tuning in to whatever this is.

SCOTT FELTS, I-81 Sports Contributor

• • Texas 31, Tennessee 24: Arch Manning returns to Uncle Peyton’s old house. Texas is a road favorite (-4.5–5.5) after the Ohio State comeback and a workmanlike win over UTSA. Tennessee is 3-0 and riding freshman QB Faizon Brandon plus a physical run game. Neyland will be rocking, but the Longhorns’ talent is deep. Picking with my head and not my heart. 
  • Western Carolina 28, ETSU 21: The 10th annual Blue Ridge Border Battle happens in Johnson City with the all-time series tied at 27-27-1.  ETSU has won two in a row for the first time since 2020-21. Five of the last ten have been a one-score game. 
  • Ole Miss 35, Florida 31: Rebels are coming off the emotional win over LSU while the  Gators just survived Auburn on the road and somehow opened as home favorites (-3–3.5). Take the over. Total shootout expected (60+ points). Trinidad Chambliss vs. Florida’s improving attack under Sumrall.
  • Oregon 38, USC 34: Welcome to the game of the week in the Pac-12–errr Big Ten. Oregon is a slight favorite despite the road. Both offenses can light it up (high 60s total); Ducks look to bounce back from the Oklahoma State loss, Trojans look to prove their early record is real after a close call with Rutgers. Dante Moore outduels the Coliseum crowd in a track meet.
  • LSU 28, Texas A&M 20: Tigers need a bounceback after the Ole Miss heartbreaker while the Aggies are reeling from the Kentucky upset. Home field in Death Valley favors LSU.
  • Michigan 20, Iowa 13: Classic Big Ten grind. Michigan slight home favorite. Expect points to be scarce and field goals to matter. The Big House stays undefeated on the back (and legs) of Underwood in the “ugly but effective” category. 
  • Mississippi State 27, Missouri 24: Both 3-0 and ranked. Home Bulldogs slight favorites in a physical SEC West scrap. Ms St has the best QB you haven’t heard of yet. 
  • Ohio State 42, Illinois 14: Buckeyes are massive home favorites. Illinois is competitive but outmatched in Columbus against a wounded nut.
  • Virginia Tech 31, Boston College 17: Hokies road favorites. Franklin’s group should handle business.
  • Georgia 34, Oklahoma 17: Bulldogs are heavy home favorites (-13.5–14). Oklahoma’s offense has been sputtering while Georgia looks like the complete package again.
  • Utah 27, Iowa State 17: Utes solid road favorites. Jack Trice will be loud, but Utah’s physical style travels.
  • UC Davis 31, Montana 27: Griz favored in a Big Sky Top 10 STATS FCS matchup. UC Davis is at home, has the better passing attack with the Cleeland-to-Gbatu connection against a banged-up Grizzlies squad. 
  • Montana State 35, Northern Arizona 14: Top 20 FCS matchup as 18th ranked Lumberjacks head to visit the number 1 ranked Bobcats. Lumberjack QB Ty Pennington will look to do an extreme home makeover on Bobcat Stadium but his nail gun doesn’t have enough nails.  
  • Tennessee Tech 34, Wofford 16: Tech is setting the SoCon on fire so far. The Terriers lead the all-time series 4-0 but this Tech team is averaging  almost 36 ppg to Wofford’s  20 ppg.
  • Samford 31, VMI 14: Yawn.
  • Auburn 28, Vanderbilt 21: The extremely lucky Commodores travel to Jordan-Hare where luck runs out. Auburn looking to rebound; home field matters.
  • Penn State 27, Wisconsin 13: Nittany Lions home favorites. Badgers will try to slow it down; Penn State’s offense should still find enough.
  • Alabama 31, South Carolina 17: Tide are solid home favorites. Gamecocks are tough but Alabama’s talent and home edge should prevail
  • Maryland 24, UCLA 21: Near pick’em but the travel for UCLA is the difference in this Big Ten mid-tier battle.
  • Oklahoma State 37, West Virginia 27: Close Big 12-ish feel. Mountaineers slight home favorites over the upset-special Cowboys still feeling that Oregon win. 
  • Titans 27, Giants 24: Titans are 0-2 and still searching for answers after slow starts. Giants are coming off a solid Week 1 and hosting at MetLife as roughly 6-point favorites. But as I pick this the Giants have lost starting QB Jackson Dart to an apparent knee injury.

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

• Texas over Tennessee: Will all the hubbub surrounding the game distract? This is a huge stage for the Vols’ freshman QB Faizon Brandon, but we’ve seen Arch Manning wilt in the spotlight before. I just think the Longhorns have too much depth and talent – the best money can buy.
• Western Carolina over ETSU: The Bucs’ offense has been strong, with the exception of most of the second half against West Georgia. The defense? Not so much. It’s been more than 30 years since ETSU has won three straight in this series, and it’s going to be a while longer. Catamounts win in a shootout.
• Ole Miss over Florida: This feels like a game where everyone is trying to outsmart themselves. The Rebels impressed me last week, which means they’ll probably let me down in this one.
• LSU over Texas A&M: No way Lane Kiffin’s Tigers lose two in a row, right? 
• Iowa over Michigan: The Hawkeyes finally have a little offense to go with their withering efense.
• Mississippi State over Missouri: Yes they’re on the road but it’s a little wild that the Tigers are ranked and feel like a heavy underdog.
• Ohio State over Illinois
• Virginia Tech over Boston College: The Hokies have a pretty soft schedule until November.
• Georgia over Oklahoma
• Utah over Iowa State
• UC Davis over Montana: Home field makes the difference for the Aggies.
• Montana State over Northern Arizona: I’ll ride with the defending national champs.
• Tennessee Tech over Wofford: I’ll add to the chorus that the Golden Eagles look like the class of the SoCon.
• VMI over Samford: Two bad teams. Somehow the punting of Ben Shrewsbury gives the Keydets a field position advantage that leads to the win.
• Auburn over Vanderbilt: The Tigers get their first SEC win under Alex Golesh before coming to Knoxville next week. 
• Penn State over Wisconsin: The cheese stands alone. Helman weeps.
• Alabama over South Carolina
• Maryland over UCLA: Will the Terps burn me again?
• West Virginia over Oklahoma State: Morgantown is a tough place to play. 
• Titans over Giants: This feels like a winnable game for the fellas in Music City with Jaxson Dart sidelined.

MIKE COX, Voice of the Patriots on 93.7 The Fan

• Texas at Tennessee
• Western Carolina at ETSU
• Ole Miss at Florida
• Texas A&M at LSU
• Iowa at Michigan
• Missouri at Mississippi State
• Illinois at Ohio State
• Virginia Tech at Boston College 
• Oklahoma at Georgia
• Utah at Iowa State
• Montana at UC Davis
• NAU vs Montana State
• Tennessee Tech at Wofford
• VMI at Samford
• Vanderbilt at Auburn
• Wisconsin at Penn State
• South Carolina at Alabama 
• UCLA at Maryland 
• Oklahoma State at West Virginia
• Titans at Giants

MIKE ROBERTS (Contributor, I-81 Sports)

• Texas over Tennessee
• ETSU over Western Carolina
• Ole Miss over Florida
• USC over Oregon
• Texas A&M over LSU’
• Michigan over Iowa
• Mississippi State over Missouri
• Ohio State over Illinois
• Virginia Tech over Boston College
• Georgia over Oklahoma
• Iowa State over Utah
• UC Davis over Montana
• Montana State over NAU
• Tennessee Tech over Wofford
• VMI over Samford
• Auburn over Vanderbilt
• Penn State over Wisconsin
• Alabama over South Carolina
• Maryland over UCLA
• West Virginia over Oklahoma State
• Titans over Giants

THOMAS STOKES (FCS Writer, I-81 Sports)

• Texas over Tennessee
• Western Carolina over ETSU: I wish I could pick the Bucs here but Lex Thomas will look like Sixkiller against a still questionable secondary.
• Ole Miss over Florida
• Oregon over USC
• LSU over Texas A&M
• Michigan over Iowa
• Missouri over Mississippi State
• Ohio State over Illinois
• Virginia Tech over Boston College
• Georgia over Oklahoma
• Utah over Iowa State
• Montana over UC Davis: Eli Gillman became the all-time leading rusher in school history last week after being the all-time scorer the week before. The Griz could be the best FCS team in the nation and this game will be a big benchmark in that goal.
• Montana State over Northern Arizona: The Bobcats came close to being one of the biggest favorites to lose. The crowd was a major factor in getting delays of games and false starts. I wish William B was like that.
• Tennessee Tech over Wofford: I was looking forward to this game in the preseason because I thought this would be where Wofford surprises everyone, but the offense has been an issue in every game. The Golden Eagles are the most complete team in the SoCon.
• Samford over VMI: Probably going to be the only win of the season for whoever gets out of this game. Samford has looked a tiny bit better this season.
• Auburn over Vanderbilt
• Penn State over Wisconsin
• Alabama over South Carolina
• UCLA over Maryland
• West Virginia over Oklahoma State
• Titans over Giants

JACOB TOWNSEND (Host of the Morning Monster, WXSM)

• Texas
• WCU
• Florida
• USC
• LSU
• Michigan
• Mississippi State
• Ohio State
• Virginia Tech
• Georgia
• Utah
• UC Davis
• Montana State
• Tennessee Tech
• Samford
• Auburn
• Penn State
• Alabama
• Maryland
• West Virginia
• Titans

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

• Tennessee 27, Texas 24 – Just like it did at the Alamo, the Volunteers of Tennessee win in a historic day at Neyland Stadium.
• ETSU 
• Ole Miss
• Oregon
• LSU
• Michigan 
• Hail (Mississippi) State
• Ohio State
• Virginia Tech
• Georgia
• Utah
• Montana
• Montana State – Big Sky rules
• Tennessee Tech
• Samford
• Vanderbilt
• Penn State
• Alabama
• UCLA
• West Virginia
• New York Football Giants

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. 

• Texas 
• Western Carolina
• Florida
• Oregon
• LSU
• Michigan
• Miss St
• Ohio St
• VT
• Ga
• Utah
• Montana
• Montana St
• Tenn Tech
• Samford
• Auburn
• Penn St
• Bama
• UCLA
• WVA
• Titans