College Football: ESPN College Pick Em Picks Week 9

Jul 19, 2016; Dallas, TX, USA; Baylor Bears cheerleaders and mascot pose for a photo during the Big 12 Media Days at Omni Dallas Hotel. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports /

ESPN College Pick Em Picks Week 9

I had one of my better weeks in ESPN College Pick Em last week. I only missed one out of the ten games. The bad news? It was my ten point game, so I still only got 45 points! Do you want to know the ironic part? I know I picked that game right against the spread because I picked Penn State. You will have to stay tuned to see how good (or this season, bad) I did with the rest of the games.

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That puts me at 309 points on the season, leaving me just outside of the top ten percent. I gained ground on everyone in front of me in the FantasyCPR reader’s group, so I’m getting back to where I want to be. I am only four points away from the top three. That is my goal for this week.

This looks like another easy week in ESPN College Pick Em. Those make me nervous. Here are my picks for the week. They are in order from least confidence (1) to most (10) for those of you that play the confidence version of the game like I do.

Sep 3, 2016; Miami Gardens, FL, USA; Miami Hurricanes cheerleaders dance for the fans before the game between the Miami Hurricanes and the Florida A&M Rattlers at Hard Rock Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports /

(1)Florida State over Clemson:

Clemson has been playing with fire all season, even nearly losing to Troy! The Seminoles have taken their lumps as well, but their bye week couldn’t have come at a better time. This isn’t just because they get an extra week to prepare for the Tigers. The most important thing is that it allowed Deondre Francois’s shoulder to heal. It clearly was not right against Wake Forest. For that reason, I like the Noles at home. Well, that and the fact that Clemson hasn’t won in Tallahassee since 2006.

(2)Mississippi over Auburn:

Trust me, Auburn’s defense is nasty in a good way. They are all over the place, and as the offense showed last week, they can put up some points. Now comes the but. Auburn has only played one game away from home. It was also in the state of Mississippi two weeks ago. Auburn played well in that game, but the Rebels are a much better team than their in-state counterparts. The Rebels have played five teams that are still ranked in seven weeks. This makes number six. However, three of their four losses were on the road to said ranked teams (Orlando is not a neutral site when you play Florida State). I like Ole Miss at home. They had Alabama beat here until they fell apart late.

(3)Washington over Utah:

Washington is fun to watch. Utah? Not so much. However, their defense is strong and tough. In the same vein that Stanford’s used to be. This will be the toughest road test so far for the Huskies. Everyone wants to know just how good they are. They made a statement against Stanford, but we all know that Stanford isn’t nearly as good as they have been. They can make a statement here against Utah, but I don’t think it’s as strong as everyone in Husky Nation hopes.

(4)Boise State over Wyoming:

I realize that most people will have this higher on their list, but I am not one of them. Boise is one of those teams that is begging to be upset. Third year Wyoming coach Craig Bohl is still looking for that signature win. The difference is that this year, his Cowboys are capable of pulling something like that off. I will tell you one thing for sure: I doubt Boise covers (-14.5). Just a teaser for the against the spread picks!

(5)Miami over Notre Dame:

Hey, it’s Catholics vs. Convicts again! Don’t you miss those days? Well, in those days, both teams were usually good when they met. This year Miami is 4-3 and Notre Dame is 2-5. I haven’t seen anything from the Notre Dame defense that says they can hang with Miami, even at home. I’m tempted to put this higher.

Oct 31, 2015; Jacksonville, FL, USA; Florida Gators mascot, Albert, and teammates celebrate as they beat the Georgia Bulldogs at EverBank Stadium. Florida Gators defeated the Georgia Bulldogs 27-3. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports /

(6)West Virginia over Oklahoma State:

The Mountaineers have the best defense in the Big 12. Of course, that’s like saying you have the best steak at USA Steak Buffet. Sure, it’s good for the place, but it still doesn’t compare to a Ruth’s Chris steak. You get where I’m going with this. The Cowboys have gotten better as they have turned to younger players in the backfield, but that defense still give up a ton of points. The Mountaineer offense is more than capable of taking advantage.

(7)Michigan over Michigan State:

The chasm between these two rivals is huge this year, so why is the score so low? I don’t trust it. Crazy things happen in rivalry games. Especially with a young QB in a hostile environment. Michigan has longed to be back in this position for a decade. Can they deal with the pressure that comes along with it?

(8)Wisconsin over Nebraska:

Nebraska has the ability to keep this close and maybe even win. However, in order to do that, they will have to play the best game that they have this season. By a long shot. I doubt that happens. Wisconsin can beat you by ten and make it feel like it’s 30. That is likely what happens here.

(9)Florida over Georgia:

Something tells me that the Bulldog fans are going to need a hell of a lot of cocktails by the end of this one. You may even find Uga slurping a beer out of a bowl somewhere after this. Even star running backs Nick Chubb and Sony Michel haven’t been able to mask the mistakes at quarterback. I don’t really expect a blowout -this is a rivalry, after all – but I don’t expect a close game either.

(10)Baylor over Texas:

Baylor’s schedule is worse than milk that is a week after it’s expiration date. Their road games have been against Rice and Iowa State. Of course, they nearly lost that game in Ames. The team that beats up on other Texas teams usually wins the recruiting battle. Beating Texas, no matter how down the Longhorns may be at the time, is still Texas. That speaks volumes to recruits in the state. Baylor realizes the importance of this game. I think they show up ready.

Next: Who Is The Top FanDuel QB This Week?

Stay tuned to Fantasy CPR for all of the college football games picked against the spread. We also have all of your DFS needs covered. We have picks for the NBA, NHL, NFL, and maybe even some MLS action in there!