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ESPN College Pick Em Picks Week 4

By Mike Marteny

Sep 17, 2016; Stanford, CA, USA; Stanford Cardinal fans hold cutout of running back Christian McCaffrey during a NCAA football game against the USC Trojans at Stanford Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
Sep 17, 2016; Stanford, CA, USA; Stanford Cardinal fans hold cutout of running back Christian McCaffrey during a NCAA football game against the USC Trojans at Stanford Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports /
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Sep 3, 2016; Green Bay, WI, USA; LSU Tigers running back Leonard Fournette (7) leaps over Wisconsin Badgers safety Leo Musso (19) during the fourth quarter at Lambeau Field. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports
Sep 3, 2016; Green Bay, WI, USA; LSU Tigers running back Leonard Fournette (7) leaps over Wisconsin Badgers safety Leo Musso (19) during the fourth quarter at Lambeau Field. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports /

ESPN College Pick Em Picks Week 4

It was a rough week again last week for my ESPN College Pick Em picks. I only got four right, for a total of 29 points. I missed my nine point game, but got the rest of the top four right. I have slipped to the middle of the pack in the Fantasy CPR Readers league. This week will be better!

More from College Football Odds

I am sitting at just 99 points after three weeks. This week looks much easier, so I am setting a goal of 45 out of 54 points.

I finally had my first week above .500 against the spread last week, but the success didn’t carry over to ESPN College Pick Em. I have plenty of ground to make up in both areas, it seems.

Here are my ESPN College Pick Em Picks for week 4. They are in order from Least confident (1) to most (10). At least I have all my ten pointers right so far!

(1) Arizona State over California:

Hey, remember that ASU-Texas Tech game in week 2? This game will be similar to that, and we all know anything can happen in a shootout. 100 combined points seems likely, thought they may not hit the scoreboard-busting total of 123 like the Texas Tech game. Cal will give up at least 50 points. Can they score that many? Probably not.

(2) Texas A&M over Arkansas:

I watched Trevor Knight play enough over the last couple of years to be wary of his good play. I’m waiting for the other shoe to drop, and when it does, it wont be pretty. Is Arkansas good enough to make it happen? Maybe. Hence the low confidence score.

(3) Florida over Tennessee: 

The Vols showed up in the second quarter against Virginia Tech, However, if that is their idea of showing up, it still isn’t good enough. The absence of Luke Del Rio is a tough loss for Florida, and the only reason this game isn’t at eight or higher. Florida has their number, and I have seen no proof that that will change.

(4) LSU over Auburn:

LSU looked like a different team with Danny Etling at QB, but they were dominated in the second half against Mississippi State, and were fortunate to escape with a win. Auburn’s defense is good enough to contain them, though I tend to believe that a healthy Leonard Fournette would have gone a long way toward putting the game away. He should be more healthy this week, but this is a game that Auburn can win.

(5) Baylor over Oklahoma State:

James Washington could have 400 receiving yards against this defense, and it still may not be enough. This game worries me some because this is the first decent team that Baylor has played. Oklahoma State’s offense is good enough to keep them in it, and if Baylor doesn’t show up, it is winnable for the Cowboys.

Sep 17, 2016; Oxford, MS, USA; Mississippi Rebels quarterback Chad Kelly (10) warms up before the game against the Alabama Crimson Tide at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Bush-USA TODAY Sports
Sep 17, 2016; Oxford, MS, USA; Mississippi Rebels quarterback Chad Kelly (10) warms up before the game against the Alabama Crimson Tide at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Bush-USA TODAY Sports /

(6) West Virginia over BYU:

Teams aren’t scared of Taysom Hill’s playmaking ability anymore. The injuries have taken a toll. He is still a good player, but he is not as electric as he was. West Virginia’s offense is the best that BYU has faced yet. This could be big trouble for the Cougars.

(7) Michigan State over Wisconsin:

LSU is not the team we thought. Wisconsin struggled mightily with Georgia State last week. The could be a letdown for the Spartans after a huge win in South Bend, but I doubt they let it happen at home. This game likely stays close, but the Spartans are better on both sides of the ball.

(8) Mississippi over Georgia:

The Rebels have blown 21 point leads against two top three teams already this year. There is no way Georgia would have built a lead in either of those games. The only game that Georgia has looked good in was the opener against North Carolina. They sputtered against Nicholls State, and came very close to losing to a better-than-people-think Missouri team. Their days of living dangerously are over. Ole Miss takes down Georgia for the first time since I graduated high school.

(9)Florida State over South Florida:

Quinton Flowers is a quarterback in the same vein as Louisville’s Lamar Jackson. Fortunately for the Seminoles, his offensive line and supporting cast aren’t nearly as good. This game could be closer than the experts think, but there is no way USF can stop Dalvin Cook for an entire game.

(10) Stanford over UCLA:

Stanford has looked the part of the class of the Pac 12. UCLA lost to A&M, and likely should have lost to BYU. They had several chances to lose that game. UCLA has no answer for Christian McCaffrey. They are still learning who to lean on after losing so many starters from last year. Stanford may lose at some point this year, but I highly doubt it’s here.

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