ESPN College Pick Em picks – week 1

Here are my picks for the ESPN college pick em game for week 1.  The games will be ordered from 10 (most confidence) to 1(least).

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Maybe this can help you to win your league against your friends, or at least help you make a pick that you’re on the fence about.

Here are my picks for week 1:

10. UCLA over Virginia: This isn’t against the spread, so this is one of a few gimmes this week.  Slots 7-10 are practically interchangeable.

9. Florida State over Oklahoma State: I may move this one to ten.  I would be far more surprised if the Pokes beat FSU than if Virginia shocked UCLA.

8. Auburn over Arkansas: Arkansas is still way overmatched.  They will be better than last year, but they might still lose ten games.  That’s how brutal the SEC West is.  They must have really pissed off the college football Gods, since they draw Auburn from the East.  In week 1!

7. Alabama over West Virginia: QB issues or not, WVU doesn’t have an answer for Yeldon.  It may be closer than people think, but it still won’t be much of a game.

6. Georgia over Clemson: Clemson lost way too much on offense.  Gurley will likely take over this game.

5. USC over Fresno State: Fresno was good on offense last year, but how will they do in the post-Derek Carr era?  Not well when you have to start with the Trojans.

4. Ohio State over Navy: All of the losses on defense, and the loss of QB Braxton Miller make me nervous about this one.  I wouldn’t be all that surprised if Navy won.  No one has to defend the option anymore, which makes it that much more of a weapon.

3. Central Florida over Penn State: I don’t know quite what to make of UCF without Bortles.  They are ranked, but should they be?  I guess we will find out!

2. LSU over Wisconsin: LSU lost a lot, but the unrest at QB up north gives me enough confidence in the Tigers ability to reload that I will pick them.

1. Northwestern over California: Jared Goff is better than people give him credit for because the talent around him was non-existent last year.  This year is different.  I like Semien to have some success against the  Cal defense, but this will likely be a very close game.