This article is part of our College Football Picks series.
Week 4 of the college football season; a time when in years past we'd be looking forward to conference games across the board. Instead, we get one more week of Big Ten bashing before we lose sight of just how bad certain conferences are for about eight weeks.
With that in mind, it's our last chance to take advantage of said poor conferences and the teams that lie within. Fortunately, conferences such as the Big Ten still have teams with large followings, so the lines stay at a place where it's more than reasonable to fade.
As for the national landscape; as you might expect, nothing has been decided yet and that's a good thing. The longer we can get into the season without anything being decided, the more integrity stays within the current system.
My worst nightmare is a scenario in which a team has one spot locked up prior to its final game and decides to rest its players like we see in the NFL all the time.
I don't see that happening often, if at all, only because unlike the NFL, nothing is guaranteed in the college football playoff system. There is no point at which a team clinches a spot, it's all dependent on the committee and nothing is final until it decides.
Bad to the picks, another sub-par week, but a strong 3-1 showing in my Passing Thoughts category. Do you see a trend developing there?
As always, I'll tweet any insights I come up
Week 4 of the college football season; a time when in years past we'd be looking forward to conference games across the board. Instead, we get one more week of Big Ten bashing before we lose sight of just how bad certain conferences are for about eight weeks.
With that in mind, it's our last chance to take advantage of said poor conferences and the teams that lie within. Fortunately, conferences such as the Big Ten still have teams with large followings, so the lines stay at a place where it's more than reasonable to fade.
As for the national landscape; as you might expect, nothing has been decided yet and that's a good thing. The longer we can get into the season without anything being decided, the more integrity stays within the current system.
My worst nightmare is a scenario in which a team has one spot locked up prior to its final game and decides to rest its players like we see in the NFL all the time.
I don't see that happening often, if at all, only because unlike the NFL, nothing is guaranteed in the college football playoff system. There is no point at which a team clinches a spot, it's all dependent on the committee and nothing is final until it decides.
Bad to the picks, another sub-par week, but a strong 3-1 showing in my Passing Thoughts category. Do you see a trend developing there?
As always, I'll tweet any insights I come up with post-article each week. You can follow me at @gregvara.
Cream of the Crop (Week: 0-3; Season: 1-4)
Saturday
Indiana at Missouri: The fact that both teams have put up a ton of points already this season scares me a bit. That and the possibility of Missouri opening up on Indiana, but if this game goes to plan, Missouri should end up in the 50s and Indiana in the 30s. Give or take a few points. of course.
Total: Over 73
California at Arizona: Both teams are expected to have high-powered offenses this season, but I think the total here is a bit speculative. Neither team has lit it up yet exactly, and as you'd expect the competition hasn't exactly been stiff either. Facing a conference foe, I expect the defenses to tighten, and even if they don't, heck, this number is so high it will take an old-fashioned shoot-out to top 70 points. I don't expect both teams to be hitting on all cylinders this week.
Total: Under 70
Best of the Rest (Week 2-2; Season: 2-4)
Saturday
Iowa at Pittsburgh: Something tells me Iowa is going to play better as a dog than as a favorite. That, and something tells me Pittsburgh may be a bit overrated this season. All of which leads to taking the dog and the points. As much as I hate to side with an inferior Big Ten team, I feel it's the right play.
Side: Iowa +7
Bowling Green at Wisconsin: Last chance for Wisconsin to beat up an inferior opponent, and you can bet that the Badgers will take full advantage of this opportunity. It's always nice when you lay a big number with a team that can run the ball for 60 minutes.
Side: Wisconsin -27
Utah at Michigan: Neither team has faced much of a test to this point. Well, Michigan faced somewhat of a test and failed miserably, but you get the point. Based on how these teams have looked against inferior opponents and the Big Ten's general lack of firepower, Utah seems like a solid play.
Side: Utah +5.5
PASSing Thoughts (Week: 3-1; Season: 11-3)
Thursday
Auburn at Kansas State: I'm not sure why, but I'm still not sold on Auburn. The Tigers have done everything imaginable the last 12 months to convince me, but I'm still skeptical. Anyhow, Kansas State is no slouch, and in front of a national television audience and a rowdy crowd, the Cats will represent.
Side: Kansas State +8.5
Saturday
San Jose State at Minnesota: After such an awful showing last week at TCU, I have to believe the the Gophers will be ready to play this week. San Jose State is an inferior opponent, even for a Big Ten team. The Gophers get a lot of kinks worked out this week and roll to an easy win.
Side: Minnesota -8
South Carolina at Vanderbilt: South Carolina played well last week on its way to topping Georgia, but I'm not sure all the problems are solved. Going from the frenzied home atmosphere to one like it will face this week could be tough as well as the Gamecocks are huge favorites and have proven vulnerable in that role this year.
Side: Vanderbilt +22
Georgia Tech at Virginia Tech: It makes no sense at all, but after its colossal face-plant last week, I expect the Hokies to play extremely well this week. Perhaps they have trouble handling success, and now that they've been knocked down a peg, they'll respond like they did at Ohio State.
Side: Virginia Tech -7.5
Clemson at Florida State: The tone of this game changed quite a bit with the first-half suspension of Jameis Winston. FSU is now in a situation where it might play it conservatively until it gets the services of Winston back for the second half. Clemson, meanwhile, is looking at this game differently as well, knowing a strong start to the game could mean a realistic chance for the upset.
Side: Clemson +16.5
