College Football Picks Against The Spread Afternoon September 17

Sep 5, 2015; Eugene, OR, USA; Oregon Ducks mascot rides on a motorcycle before the game against the Eastern Washington Eagles at Autzen Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Scott Olmos-USA TODAY Sports /

College Football Picks Against The Spread Afternoon September 17

It has been a rough start to the college football season for me. I have a huge hole to dig myself out of, but with 51 college football games on Saturday, I have a chance to do it!

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Sunday through Friday, I am the perfect husband. No really, I am. You can ask the boss a.k.a. my wife. I help with all of the household chores, walk the dogs, cook meals, all that good stuff that women love. Come Saturday, my wife hates me. This is MY day. I become one with the couch. Just another piece of immovable furniture. I create my own game of Bladder-Bust since I fast forward through all of the commercials. I am almost disappointed when I have to take time out to eat or get another beer. Why am I interested in so many games? Other than the fact that I love college football, here is why: I was possessed by Jimmy The Greek and Lee Corso at the same time!

In case you don’t know what I do here, I pick every college football game of the season. Against the spread. Trust me, it’s not as easy as it sounds! I take the average of the odds from all of the Vegas casinos. I then round to the nearest half. There will be no ties here. Ties are for the other football (soccer).

This contains the picks for FBS vs. FBS game only. It is too hard to get an accurate spread on teams that involve 1-AA teams.

I will assign a point value “bet” on each game, between one and five points. That way you can see just how confident I am in each pick. Look for those at the end of each line.

This is for entertainment purposes only! I cannot be responsible for you losing any of your worldly possessions (or limbs) because of my picks. These are a guideline that you can use to help you with your picks. I am a simple man. I can’t have that on my conscience.

15 more of the 51 games kick off between 3pm and 6pm eastern time. I will pick all of those, against the spread of course, in this column. Stay tuned for the rest of my picks! I have a good feeling about this week, so let’s get going!

Just in case you missed any:
Thursday-Friday
Early Saturday

Next: Click Here For The Afternoon Picks!

Sep 3, 2016; San Diego, CA, USA; San Diego State Aztecs quarterback Christian Chapman (10) hands the ball off to running back Donnel Pumphrey (19) during the first quarter against the New Hampshire Wildcats at Qualcomm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jake Roth-USA TODAY Sports /

San Diego State(-10.5) at Northern Illinois(4): This is too low. NIU had a tough time stopping Wyoming RB Brian Hill in the opener. Hill is a good back, but he is nowhere near as talented as Pumphrey. SDSU rolls!

Colorado at (4)Michigan(-19.5)(1): Just how good is Michigan? They have destroyed teams that they should, which helps their cause, but what have we learned? The offense is better than it was last year, and this defense is nasty. I still can’t decide if Colorado’s trouncing of Colorado State was more a product of the Rams not being very good or of the Ralphies turning a corner. I kind of have a feeling that Michigan gets tested a little. Give me Colorado.

(22)Oregon at Nebraska(-2.5)(4): I don’t buy this. I know Oregon’s defense isn’t very good, but Nebraska makes so many mistakes on offense, and kills so many drives with penalties, that I just can’t take them to beat Oregon. Especially with the skill players that Oregon has on offense. I’ll take the Ducks.

(1)Alabama(-10.5) at Mississippi(3): This is about a half point too high. Ole Miss isn’t going to just roll over. The defense is still good. Chad Kelly is still capable of running this team. This game stays pretty close. Give me the Rebs.

Florida International(-1.5) at Massachusetts(4): FIU ran into two really good offenses in Maryland and Indiana in the first two weeks. They wont have much trouble with UMass. Give me the Panthers.

Western Kentucky(-16.5) at Miami(OH)(4): The only reason that I am not more confident in this pick is because the WKU defense isn’t great, but the offense will look like it against the Redhawks. This is quite a bit too low. Hilltoppers by nearly 30.

Pittsburgh at Oklahoma State(-4.5)(3): Many seem to expect a rebound by Oklahoma State, but they fail to realize that Pitt is a solid team. This will be a fairly high scoring game, but I tend to think that James Conner is the best player on the field. Give me Pitt.

South Florida(-14.5) at Syracuse(3): That half is tempering my optimism for this line, but Quinton Flowers is a handful. Syracuse wont be able to stop him. Give me the Bulls.

Boston College at Virginia Tech(-5.5)(2): This line is steadily falling, but I still like the Hokies for under a TD at home. Give me VT.

Western Michigan(-2.5) at Illinois(3): This line opened with Illinois favored, and should have stayed that way. I’ll take the Illini.

New Mexico State at Kentucky(-21.5)(1): New Mexico State had the in-state battle won before Gipson went down. Kentucky has been a mess on both sides of the ball. I just can’t take a team that is a mess to cover a 3+ TD line against anyone. Give me the Aggies.

East Carolina at South Carolina(-3.5)(2): This line has plummeted four points, and may fall even farther. Honestly, ECU has looked like the better team. If South Carolina wins, it wont be by more than three. Give me the Pirates.

Eastern Michigan(-2.5) at Charlotte(1): Holy atrocity, Batman! Watching a game like this could cause bleeding of the eyes and loss of respect for all the fundamentals of football. I watch more football than is likely healthy, and even I wont watch this one. Give me the Eagles. They have to be at least marginally better than Charlotte, right? RIGHT? I’m more trying to convince myself than all of you.

Old Dominion at North Carolina State(-23.5)(1): I have not been overly impressed by the Wolfpack, but they have the offensive firepower to at least have a chance to cover this. Give me NC State.

Louisiana-Monroe at Georgia Southern(-25.5)(1): Wow! Just……wow! Is Monroe really this bad? Probably. Would I bet on it? Not a chance. I will take the Warhawks not to get covered, I guess.

Next: ESPN College Pick Em Picks Week 3

Stay tuned for plenty of NFL advice, and the rest of the picks against the spread for week 3!