College Football Pick- National Championship 2025 (Monday 20th January)

The new College Football Playoff has changed the way we lead up into the National Championship Game, but we have got here and it looks like a decent game between two schools that have overcome some adversity during the course of the season.

The off-season is going to bring changes in College Football and we might even here about any extension to the Playoff format, while all eyes will be on North Carolina and whether they can retain Bill Belichick as Head Coach.

It has been a fun season for the fans to enjoy, but all comes to a conclusion with a new Champion set to be crowned when the Buckeyes and Fighting Irish face off.

Notre Dame Fighting Irish vs Ohio State Buckeyes Pick: The new College Football Playoff format will be considered a success, although there maybe some tweaks and an expansion over the coming years.

The first twelve team Playoff ends on Monday with the National Championship Game and it looks a good one.

Both the Ohio State Buckeyes (13-2) and Notre Dame Fighting Irish (14-1) played in the First Round of the post-season and they have each beaten three opponents.

The Buckeyes crushed Tennessee Volunteers at home before earning revenge over the Oregon Ducks, the Big Ten Champions, in the Quarter Final. They were not as dominant, despite the score, in the win over the Texas Longhorns, but the Ohio State Buckeyes will feel they are pretty well tested ahead of the National Championship as a talented group peak at just the right time.

Notre Dame Fighting Irish have beaten two Big Ten opponents on their way to the National Championship Game and that will give them plenty of confidence that this season can end with a trophy to parade. The blowout of the Indiana Hoosiers was expected, but the tough, battling win over the Penn State Nittany Lions just underlined the belief in this Fighting Irish team.

Beating the SEC Champions Georgia, albeit with a backup Quarter Back, will have deepened that belief and Notre Dame have to be respected for gritting their way through to the National Championship Game. Injuries have piled up, which is something those in the Playoff Committee will have noted, but the Fighting Irish continue to rally together and 'next man up' mentality is helping them.

This is the hardest of tests for Notre Dame with the Buckeyes finally looking like they are playing at the level that most expected from them before a ball had been kicked off, and it may not be the best match up Offensively.

The Fighting Irish want to lean on the Offensive Line, but the Playoff performances have been more challenging for them as they have opened up holes for 4.1 yards per carry. However, Notre Dame are not going to want to move too far away from the plan, and that is a problem when going up against this Ohio State Defensive Line, which has played at a really high level in the post-season.

Riley Leonard would love to throw the ball to open the running lanes, but the Notre Dame Fighting Irish Quarter Back has not really been as consistent with the step up in level of competition. There has been some success throwing the ball against the Buckeyes, but that is because teams have needed to take risks and Leonard and company may get into a vicious cycle if they have to move away from the run.

It would also mean trying to stop the fierce Ohio State pass rush that has penetrated the backfield and Riley Leonard has been put under duress during the Notre Dame run to the National Championship Game. That pressure has led to some turnovers and the Ohio State Buckeyes have to be very confident about what they can do when the Fighting Irish have the ball, especially with further injuries on the Notre Dame Offensive Line.

In saying that, Notre Dame are going to be confident they can make enough plays on the Defensive side of the ball to keep this one competitive and give them a chance of earning the upset.

Extra preparation time should mean the Fighting Irish are ready to challenge this very productive Ohio State Offense, which has found considerable balance.

Moving the ball on the ground against the Fighting Irish Defensive Line with any consistency will not be easy, but this Ohio State team will be confident they can rip open some big plays to keep the team balanced, which is so important in these potentially tight, competitive Defensive battles.

Will Howard is certainly the stronger passer of the two Quarter Backs taking to the field and he has some hugely talented playmakers around him. Assuming the Fighting Irish are going to try and limit the impact of Jeremiah Smith, others have shown they can step up for their Quarter Back and make the plays that keep the chains moving down the field.

There are some big injuries on this side of the ball for the Notre Dame Fighting Irish to deal with and even Head Coach Marcus Freeman's strong record when having time to prepare looks like it may not be good enough to keep his team within the spread.

He will make sure Notre Dame remain competitive, but the likelihood is that the Ohio State Buckeyes use their talent to wear down a Notre Dame team missing a lot of important players on both sides of the ball. Head Coach Ryan Day is under some pressure to bring home the National Championship, but his Buckeyes team look to have peaked at the right time and they can cover on their way to a very successful season, a loss to Michigan aside.

MY PICK: Ohio State Buckeyes - 8.5 Points @ 1.91 Bet Fred (1 Unit)

Playoff Semi Final: 1-1, - 0.09 Units (2 Units Staked, - 4.50% Yield)

Playoff Quarter Final: 2-2, - 0.18 Units (4 Units Staked, - 4.50% Yield)

Playoff First Round: 3-1, + 1.72 Units (4 Units Staked, + 43% Yield)

Week 15: 3-3, - 0.28 Units (6 Units Staked, - 4.67% Yield)

Week 14: 6-2, + 3.50 Units (8 Units Staked, + 43.75% Yield)

Week 13: 4-4, - 0.36 Units (8 Units Staked, - 4.50% Yield)

Week 12: 3-6, - 3.23 Units (9 Units Staked, - 35.89% Yield)

Week 11: 1-5, - 4.15 Units (6 Units Staked, - 69.17% Yield)

Week 10: 1-6, - 4.05 Units (7 Units Staked, - 57.86% Yield)

Week 9: 4-2, + 1.82 Units (6 Units Staked, + 30.33% Yield)

Week 8: 2-4, - 2.23 Units (6 Units Staked, - 37.17% Yield)

Week 7: 6-3, + 2.55 Units (9 Units Staked, + 28.33% Yield)

Week 6: 3-2, + 0.82 Units (5 Units Staked, + 16.4% Yield)

Week 5: 0-5, - 5 Units (5 Units Staked, - 100% Yield)

Week 4: 3-2, + 0.73 Units (5 Units Staked, + 14.60% Yield)

Week 3: 3-5, - 2.35 Units (8 Units Staked, - 29.38% Yield)

Week 2: 2-4, - 2.26 Units (6 Units Staked, - 37.67% Yield)

Week 1: 4-2, + 1.64 Units (6 Units Staked, + 27.33% Yield)

College Football Picks 2022- National Championship Game 2021 (January 10th 2022)

The College Football season comes to a conclusion on Monday with two SEC teams competing for the right to be called National Champions.

Four of the last seven Champions have come out of the SEC and this is going to be the second time two from the same Conference are competing for the National honours (the only other time in the PlayOff era was also competed between the Bulldogs and Crimson Tide).

It has been a relatively successful season for the College Football Picks, although one more win in the National Championship Game would make it a good season. Coming away from a season with a profit can't be ignored, but there is a big difference between a winning and losing end to the 2021 season and that will be determined by the National Championship Game on Monday 10th January.

Georgia Bulldogs vs Alabama Crimson Tide Pick: The SEC Championship Game featured the same two teams that dominated the College Football PlayOff games in December and a rematch is set between the Georgia Bulldogs (13-1) and the Alabama Crimson Tide (13-1). Both teams won their Semi Final games without really feeling much pressure thanks to strong Defensive outings, and the familiarity with one another should make this a fascinating rematch.

Since the introduction of the College Football four team PlayOff, this is only the second time two teams from the same Conference will be facing each other for the National Championship title. The last time was in the 2017 season when the Bulldogs and Crimson Tide faced one another too, but on that occasion the teams had not played one another in the SEC Championship Game before meeting in the National Championship Game too.

This time the rematch is taking place less than a month since the teams met in Atlanta in a Championship Game that saw the Alabama Crimson Tide pull away for the upset win. The Bulldogs led early as the relatively big favourite, but the Crimson Tide dominated the middle of the SEC Championship Game, although the layers still have Georgia down as the favourite in this National Championship Game too.

We have crossed one key number since the last game between these two SEC rivals, but the Alabama Crimson Tide are still receiving as much as a Field Goal start and that looks important. They have dominated the Georgia Bulldogs in recent times and Kirby Smart has yet to get the better of Nick Saban in his seven seasons as Head Coach in Athens.

That has to be playing a factor in this National Championship Game considering the experience Nick Saban has in winning these big games, although you do have to imagine that the Bulldogs players have learned plenty when losing the SEC Championship Game. That was a chance for Georgia to not only pick up the Conference Championship, but it might also have been enough to eliminate the Crimson Tide before the PlayOff teams were selected and the Bulldogs may have missed a trick.

Georgia will need to get more out of the Offensive unit if they are going to win this National Championship- they struggled to find consistency running the ball agains the Crimson Tide in the first meeting and I think that is going to be a huge challenge for them considering how well the Alabama Defensive Line have played down the stretch.

It puts a lot of pressure on Stetson Bennett at Quarter Back and his two Interceptions thrown in the SEC Championship Game defeat to the Crimson Tide was a big factor in the loss. The Quarter Back was under pressure from the Alabama pass rush on that day too thanks to the inability to find consistent running lanes and I think Bennett could be facing something similar in this National Championship Game too.

Turnovers are bound to be key in this game and it was a clean game from Bryce Young in the SEC Championship Game that underlined the strong performance from the Quarter Back on the day. Like the Bulldogs, Alabama struggled to find consistency running the ball, but Bryce Young was very good at Quarter Back as he piled up 421 yards with three passing Touchdowns.

I think there is an opportunity for Bryce Young to back up that performance after seeing one or two holes in the Georgia Secondary in their last few games, holes he exposed really well in the SEC Championship Game. Bryce Young is someone who I believe can handle the pressure that comes with facing a pass rush more effectively than Stetson Bennett and I think the Crimson Tide will be highly motivated by being set as the underdog again.

The underdog is now 7-1 against the spread in the last eight games between these teams.

Alabama are also 5-1 against the spread in their last six games as the underdog and I do think the team will look at the odds and wonder why they are not being given more respect having won the SEC Championship Game as handily as they did.

Kirby Smart has a very strong record against the spread when Coaching with revenge as Georgia will have after losing last month to Alabama. They blew out Florida with revenge earlier this season, but the rematch with Alabama last month was also a revenge setting for the Bulldogs and there is the pressure of being a favourite in this one which may just weigh heavy on the Georgia sidelines.

MY PICK: Alabama Crimson Tide + 3 Points @ 1.91 Sky Bet (1 Unit)

Bowl Games: 13-11, + 1.66 Units (24 Units Staked, + 6.92% Yield)

Week 14: 4-5, - 1.52 Units (9 Units Staked, - 16.89% Yield)

Week 13: 4-5, - 1.36 Units (9 Units Staked, - 15.11% Yield)

Week 12: 6-2, + 3.46 Units (8 Units Staked, + 43.25% Yield)

Week 11: 5-4, + 0.73 Units (9 Units Staked, + 8.11% Yield)

Week 10: 4-5, - 1.36 Units (9 Units Staked, - 15.11% Yield)

Week 9: 5-3, + 1.25 Units (8 Units Staked, + 15.63% Yield)

Week 8: 3-5, - 2.57 Units (8 Units Staked, - 32.13% Yield)

Week 7: 5-4, + 0.59 Units (9 Units Staked, + 6.56% Yield)

Week 6: 3-3, - 0.27 Units (6 Units Staked, - 4.50% Yield)

Week 5: 5-6, - 1.41 Units (11 Units Staked, - 12.82% Yield)

Week 4: 4-3, + 0.56 Units (7 Units Staked, + 8% Yield)

Week 3: 5-3, + 1.44 Units (8 Units Staked, + 18% Yield)

Week 2: 7-3, + 3.45 Units (10 Units Staked, + 34.50% Yield)

Week 1: 5-6-1, - 1.45 Units (12 Units Staked, - 12.08% Yield)

2021 Season: 78-68-1, + 3.20 Units (147 Units Staked, + 2.18% Yield)

College Football National Championship Game Pick 2017 (January 9th)

For the second time in a row, the Clemson Tigers and Alabama Crimson Tide have worked their way through the regular season and the Play Offs to reach the National Championship Game.

Both teams dominated their Play Off Semi Finals and this is the rematch that has really got the casual fans interested to see whether there has been an improvement in the Tigers team to turn things around from last season when they came up just short.


Clemson Tigers vs Alabama Crimson Tide Pick: The Las Vegas bookmakers have admitted that most of the money has come down on the side of the Clemson Tigers both on the Money Line and Against the Spread which has surprised them. Usually the Alabama Crimson Tide would be a big favourite for the casual fans looking for a weekend flutter, but the performance of the Tigers last season in the National Championship Game as well as the manner in which they blew out the Ohio State Buckeyes in the Semi Final this season.

In saying that, the Tigers have not faced too many teams of the level of the Alabama Crimson Tide who have won their last twenty-six games in a row. That is an incredibly strong run and even the decision to fire Lane Kiffin and replace him with Steve Sarkisian for the National Championship Game is not likely to see a big drop off from the production.

It is the Alabama Defensive unit who have laid the foundations for their successes in the Nick Saban era and this current crop of players have reached the standards set by their predecessors. It all begins up front where the Crimson Tide have shut down the running options for their opponents consistently over the course of the season which may mean Wayne Gallman is not going to have a big game.

Of course it is possible that Deshaun Watson is able to run the ball like he has from the Quarter Back position, but it looks like a game where he will need to be throwing the ball at his very best. Watson was very, very good in the National Championship Game a year ago and threw for over 400 yards in that narrow loss to the Crimson Tide and may need similar numbers again if he is going to lead the Tigers to an upset.

Watson has the Receivers to make big plays against Alabama and I do think he will have some success, but the Quarter Back has to make sure he avoids the Interceptions which have blighted him through the season. He had two Interceptions against the Ohio State Buckeyes in the Semi Final which has to be a concern, while Watson could find the backfield flooded by the pass rush Alabama have generated in recent games which will only increase the pressure on the Quarter Back.

Running the ball effectively is how the Alabama Crimson Tide like to lay the foundations for their own success and I think they are going to have a little more joy doing that than the Clemson Tigers. The Alabama Offensive Line has been very strong at paving the way for the Running Backs this season and there have been one or two moments when Clemson's Defensive Line have just had problems closing all of the holes up front.

Being able to establish the run is going to be very important for Alabama to keep the pressure off of Jalen Hurts at Quarter Back. The Freshman only had to throw for 57 yards in the win over the Washington Huskies on New Year's Eve and Hurts might have a few chances to make some plays in the passing game if the run is forcing Clemson to bring more men up to the line of scrimmage to stop Alabama.

Both teams will believe they have every chance of winning this National Championship, but I do give the edge to the Alabama Crimson Tide. I don't think they make the same mistakes as the Ohio State Buckeyes did in their loss to Clemson and the Crimson Tide have been a covering machine this season thanks to their impressive Defensive performances.

Last season it took a score with 12 seconds remaining for the Clemson Tigers to force the cover, but I think they will struggle to stay with Alabama this time around. I expect Watson throws a couple of Interceptions which allows the Crimson Tide to wear down the Tigers and win yet another National Championship.

I expect Watson will have his moments too, but the Alabama juggernaut keeps rolling and I will back them to cover in this one behind a grind it out run game.

MY PICKS: Alabama Crimson Tide - 6.5 Points @ 1.91 Sky Bet (1 Unit)

College Football National Championship Game Pick 2016 (Monday 11th January)

The entire College Football season has come down to the final game of the season as the National Championship is decided between a team that has plenty of experience against one that is surprisingly unbeaten.

I think this is the National Championship we deserve to see before another seven month wait to see it all happen again.

The best of luck to both teams, I hope they can produce a classic.


Alabama Crimson Tide v Clemson Tigers Pick: The Alabama Crimson Tide and Clemson Tigers came through their Play Off 'Semi Finals' on New Year's Eve to reach the National Championship Game in Phoenix. Out of the two teams, the Clemson Tigers certainly had the more impressive win as the underdog against the Oklahoma Sooners, but you can't take anything away from the way Alabama dominated the Michigan State Spartans later that same day.

While there will be plenty of Sooners fans who believe their team deserved to be here, I think most neutral fans would be happy with the two teams we have competing this National Championship Game.

The layers have given the edge to Alabama, but I am not sure that Clemson don't feel the happiest when they are set as the underdog. Both teams will be unconcerned with how people view them and Nick Saban and Dabo Swinney will be looking to prepare their teams as best as possible for a huge game for both schools.

You won't be having to look too far to see some of the players that will be making an impact at the NFL level in the years to come and two of the top three Heisman Trophy finishers in action in this one. Which of the teams will be ready to take advantage of their Offensive weapons to win this game and take home the National Championship trophy?

It won't be a big surprise to Clemson as to what the Crimson Tide are going to want to do on Offense- they will look to establish the run and keep Quarter Back Jake Coker in third and manageable spots where he has thrived. Coker has been more than a game manager in recent games, but the key for Alabama is establishing the run through Derrick Henry and, to a lesser extent, Kenyan Drake.

Henry won the Heisman Trophy after rushing for over 2000 yards on the season and he will be given the rock plenty of times in this one even if it means wearing down the Clemson Defensive Line. The Tigers have been solid against the run, but not impenetrable and I think Henry and Drake will both have their successes to make sure Alabama are kept in manageable down and distance, which is hugely important to Coker.

That will also help negate a powerful Clemson pass rush, although the Tigers potentially will be missing Shaq Lawson on that front too, and allow Coker the time to make his plays. Being left in third and long will be tough for Alabama to convert on a regular basis with the pass rush Clemson have been able to get through the course of the season even if Lawson is out.

A few seasons ago we saw Johnny Manziel rip Alabama with his brand of a read Offense being able to make plays both with his arm and legs, and Deshaun Watson is more than capable of replicating that as the Clemson Quarter Back. Watson has over 3600 passing yards and 1000 rushing yards on the season, but Saban figured out Manziel the second time he played him and should be more prepared to find a way to slow down Watson in this one.

The big question for Clemson is are they going to be able to run the ball against Alabama who have been so strong against the run all season. Wayne Gallman and Watson both had over 1000 rushing yards on the season, but the Crimson Tide have given up just 2.3 yards per carry on the year and it could be the key to the whole game as to which Line wins that battle.

Shutting down the run has allowed Alabama to tee off on the pass rush in recent games, but Watson might be a little more elusive at Quarter Back than anyone they have seen. Watson's ability to move has meant the Offensive Line has looked good in pass protection, but this Crimson Tide Secondary has also played well through the course of the season and particularly over their last three games.

The turnover battle is going to be all important in these really big games and that is an area where I think Alabama also have the edge. Coker has had more success looking after the ball in the passing game, while fumbles have been an issue at times for the Clemson Tigers.

I love what the Tigers have achieved this season, but Alabama look incredibly strong and I think Saban's experience in the big game is another edge for the SEC Champions. I can see them wearing down the Clemson Tigers in the second half and their Defensive unit making a couple of big plays to slow down Deshaun Watson to help Alabama pull clear and take the National Championship trophy home yet again.

While I do think it will be close for a while, I expect Alabama to pull away in the second half and cover the spread.

MY PICK: Alabama Crimson Tide - 6.5 Points @ 1.91 Bet Victor (1 Unit)

College Football National Championship Game 2015 (January 12)

The Semi Final of the inaugural College Football Play Offs were played on New Year's Day and that means the Oregon Ducks and the Ohio State Buckeyes will be heading to Dallas and Jerry's World for the National Championship Game.

I actually think this is going to be a really good game and I think both teams deserve their opportunity to compete for the biggest prize in College Football and a chance to give themselves a place in history.


Oregon Ducks v Ohio State Buckeyes: If the old BCS system was still in place from last season, it is arguable that the two losing teams in the first ever College Football Play Off Semi Finals would have been the ones invited to compete for the National Championship. An unbeaten Florida State Seminoles, who were also defending Champions, and the Alabama Crimson Tide, the overwhelming choice for Number 1 team in the nation, were both beaten in the Rose Bowl and Sugar Bowl Semi Final games although one was far more unexpected than the other.

While the Florida State Seminoles were a big underdog, the Crimson Tide were very much expected to deal with the Ohio State Buckeyes (13-1) who were still playing third string Quarter Back Cardale Jones. However, for the second game in a row, Jones failed to feel the pressure he should do in that position and helped the Buckeyes win two games as an underdog in his first two starts.

It will be another big challenge for Jones and the Buckeyes as they take on the Oregon Ducks (13-1) who crushed Florida State in a quite unbelievable third quarter when everything went wrong for the Seminoles. Marcus Mariota won the duel against Jameis Winston and may already have confirmed his place as the Number 1 Draft pick in the NFL later in the year.

Scoring points hasn't been a problem for the Ducks since their sole defeat to the Arizona Wildcats and they have won 9 straight games since then with at least 42 points per game. Mariota is one of the major weapons for the team, but he will be facing a challenge against this Ohio State Defense, especially after two of his top Receiving weapons were ruled out of the game.

Devon Allen was injured in the Rose Bowl win over Florida State and that means his almost 700 yards and 7 Touchdowns are out of the game. Matters have become a little worse after Darren Corrington was ruled ineligible by Oregon and that rules out his 700 yards and 4 Touchdowns from the game too.

The speed of the Oregon Offense will still create issues for the Buckeyes Defense, but the Secondary has played well this season by holding teams to fewer than 200 passing yards per game. Without Allen and Corrington, Ohio State have to feel better about their chances and the Oregon Offensive Line, which has played better towards the end of the season thanks to improved health on that unit, will be tested by a very strong pass rush led by Joey Bosa and Michael Bennett.

The pressure and penetration that Bosa and Bennett have helped Ohio State create has seen the Secondary also excel at creating turnovers as Vonn Bell has picked up 6 Interceptions from Safety and Doran Grant has 5 Interceptions from Corner Back. The Buckeyes have 32 turnovers this season and 43 Sacks and will try and take Mariota out of his comfort zone has he looks at a different Receiving unit than he has been used to.

Mariota can lean on a strong running game to try and make life a little easier as his has a decent set of wheels himself, but can also hand off to Royce Freeman and Thomas Tyner. These three players have all contributed to Oregon averaged 5.5 yards per carry and producing 241 yards per game on the ground, but will be tested by the Ohio State Buckeyes who have only allowed 3.9 yards per carry.

Cardale Jones may have received some rave reviews in the way he has played for Ohio State at Quarter Back in relief of JT Barrett who was relieving the injured Braxton Miller. It is almost certain Miller transfers to another school before next season, but Jones can really press to keep his starting berth ahead of Barrett with another strong performance in this game despite the strong season Barrett had.

Jones, like Mariota, will lean on the Ohio State rushing Offense to make life easier for himself and that means seeing a lot of Ezekiel Elliot as long as this game remains competitive. Elliot had a mammoth 230 rushing yards against Alabama's vaunted run Defense and set a new Sugar Bowl record in that Play Off Semi Final and won't be intimidated by the Oregon Defensive Line which allows 156 yards per game at 4.2 yards per clip.

Elliot has helped Ohio State produce 262 rushing yards per game at 5.8 yards per carry and he will be leaned on to keep the Buckeyes in third and manageable spots in this game. The Running Back will be buoyed by seeing Florida State run successfully against the Ducks Defensive Line, but Elliot also has to be aware of the fumbles they forced from Dalvin Cook in that game.

If the Running Back is moving the ball effectively on the ground, Cardale Jones will get the chance to attack a Secondary that will still be missing Imo Ekpre-Olomu at Corner Back who is considered their best player in that unit. The Ducks have given up 265 passing yards per game through the air, albeit that number is contributed to by the fact they have big leads and teams need to throw against them.

That should be an area that Jones can exploit having thrown for at least 243 yards in both starts this season against Defenses of the capability of Wisconsin and Alabama, while the Quarter Back also has 4 Touchdown passes and 1 Interception in those two wins. Like Mariota and the Oregon Offense, Jones does need to be aware that he is facing a Defense that had forced 30 turnovers this season as well as picking up 36 Sacks.

This is the ninth time the Oregon Ducks and Ohio State Buckeyes will meet on a football field and it is currently 8-0 to the Buckeyes including a 9 point win in the Rose Bowl on New Year's Day 2010.


National Championship Pick: The National Championship Game in College Football looks to be a very competitive one and you can make a real case for either team to actually win the game which is why I have to like the amount of points being given to the Ohio State Buckeyes. Cardale Jones has helped the team not miss a beat since JT Barrett went down with his season ending injury and Jones has already upset the odds twice in games against the Wisconsin Badgers and Alabama Crimson Tide.

The Buckeyes were underdogs in both of those games and Urban Meyer is a Head Coach that continues to thrive in that spot as he has led the Buckeyes to a 5-0 record against the spread when given points. Meyer has all the experience of a two time National Championship winning Head Coach and he should have the Buckeyes ready to go in this one.

Of course you have to have a lot of respect for what Marcus Mariota brings to the table as the Heisman Trophy winner and almost certainly the Number 1 Pick in the NFL Draft coming up in April. The fast paced Offense also wears down Defenses who don't have time to catch their breath and it also causes confusion with Defenders trying to make sure they have the right coverage set.

However, Ohio State's Defense has played well all season and the likes of Michael Bennett and Joey Bosa have created penetration into the backfield that can certainly slow down Offenses. With Devon Allen and Darren Carrington both absent at Receiver, Mariota has to make sure the Receivers stepping up are on the same page as him or turnovers can be a factor against this Ohio State Secondary.

That could be a real key in this game- both teams have created turnovers and have gotten plenty of Sacks, but the Ohio State Defense hasn't been as easy to move the ball against as the Oregon Ducks Defense. The Ducks have allowed over 420 yards per game this season in total Offense and Cardale Jones has shown he has the composure to make big plays along with Ezekiel Elliot at Running Back.

Oregon have been a strong favourite all season, going 10-4 against the spread in that spot, but the Buckeyes do thrive as the underdog and have the Coaching edge. There are also a couple of other trends that will be going against Oregon since 1998 when the BCS National Championship Game was created.

The favourite in the National Championship Game is had won and covered in 6 straight seasons before last season and they have won 7 straight games. However the first trend against Oregon is that teams favoured by 6 or more points in this game are only 2-6 against the spread and they are 3-5 straight up.

The second one is that the Heisman Trophy winner is just 3-5 outright and also just 2-6 against the spread in the National Championship Game since 1998.

Add those two strong trends with the fact that Urban Meyer should have the Coaching edge over Mark Helfrich and Ohio State's strong record against the spread as the underdog and I like taking the points in a game the Buckeyes can certainly win outright.

MY PICK: Ohio State Buckeyes + 6.5 Points @ 1.92 Stan James (1 Unit)

Bowl Update: 10-11, - 1.65 Units (21 Units Staked, - 7.86% Yield)

Week 15: 6-2, + 3.69 Units (8 Units Staked, + 46.13% Yield)
Week 14: 8-7, + 0.47 Units (15 Units Staked, + 3.13% Yield)
Week 13: 7-6, + 0.37 Units (13 Units Staked, + 2.85% Yield)
Week 12: 7-5, + 1.40 Units (12 Units Staked, + 11.67% Yield)
Week 11: 9-4, + 4.34 Units (13 Units Staked, + 33.38% Yield)
Week 10: 6-7, - 1.51 Units (13 Units Staked, - 11.62% Yield)

Week 9: 4-9-1, - 5.31 Units (14 Units Staked, - 37.93% Yield)

Week 8: 5-7, - 2.26 Units (12 Units Staked, - 18.83% Yield)

Week 7: 3-8, - 5.31 Units (11 Units Staked, - 48.27% Yield)

Week 6: 2-7, - 5.13 Units (9 Units Staked, - 57% Yield)

Week 5: 4-5, - 1.13 Units (9 Units Staked, - 12.56% Yield)

Week 4: 6-5, + 0.58 Units (11 Units Staked, + 5.27% Yield)

Week 3: 3-7-1, - 4.18 Units (11 Units Staked, - 38% Yield)

Week 2: 5-6, - 1.18 Units (11 Units Staked, - 10.72% Yield)

Week 1: 6-4, + 1.77 Units (10 Units Staked, + 11.7% Yield)

Season 2014: 75-82-2, - 13.39 Units (172 Units Staked, - 7.78% Yield)

Season 2013: 65-49-2, + 8.49 Units (124 Units Staked, + 6.85% Yield)

Season 2012: 54-59-1 - 7.11 Units (114 Units Staked, - 6.24% Yield)

Season 2011: 63-36, + 23.25 Units (99 Units Staked, + 23.5% Yield)