College Football Week 4 Picks 2026 (Saturday 26th September)

The expanded College Football Playoff gives a few more teams an opportunity to overcome a loss or two, but in the years ahead, the field is likely to be expanded and that should ensure strong schedules are played.

Head Coaches have made it clear that the Playoff Committee should not be punishing those who take on big opponents in non-Conference games.

Losing to the Ohio State Buckeyes hurt the Texas Longhorns last year, although they did have a couple of other losses on the record which ultimately impacted their hopes of earning a spot in the twelve team Playoff field.

This time around it is the Buckeyes who will be needing to win some big games if they are going to overcome the second half capitulation that cost them the chance to beat the Texas Longhorns again.

Conference play has gotten underway already and the final round of games in September will see plenty of those games on the schedule.

Games are of such importance in Week 4 that the President of the United States will be attending one of those- Tennessee hosting Texas has plenty of storylines attached to it already and President Trump expected to be on campus is another one.

Big games mean big headlines are ready to be made and it is also a chance to finally begin bouncing back from what has been a difficult start to the 2026 season for the College Football Picks.

Texas Longhorns @ Tennessee Volunteers Pick: Two teams who have begun the season at 3-0 will now move into SEC play and with President Trump expected to be in attendance.

It would have been a big game anyway when the Texas Longhorns (3-0) visited Knoxville to face the Tennessee Volunteers (3-0) with Arch Manning set to Quarter Back the road team on a campus where Uncle Peyton was a former College star for the Volunteers before having a very successful career in the NFL with the Indianapolis Colts and Denver Broncos.

Bigger expectations are on the shoulders of the Texas Longhorns when these unbeaten teams open Conference play in 2026 and the come from behind win over the Ohio State Buckeyes has already placed a strong victory in the record books. There are going to be some significant challenges to meet in the SEC and the Texas Longhorns will be well aware of the test that is facing them when playing the first road game of the season.

The Tennessee Volunteers do have a road win over the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets, and they will have taken great pleasure in beating a historical rival, but two home wins against overmatched opponents won't mean a great deal before facing one of the top teams in the SEC.

Some will already be backing Arch Manning to be the top Draft Pick for the NFL next year, but the Volunteers will be going into this game with a much more inexperienced Quarter Back.

Faizon Brandon has made a positive start to his College career, and there are huge expectations as to how he will grow into a top Quarter Back at this level and then beyond, and all credit has to be given to the Volunteers for being able to recruit him. He has been able to throw 6 Touchdown passes without an Interception and Faizon Brandon has added three more Touchdowns on the ground, but facing the likes of Furman, Georgia Tech and Kennesaw State is one thing and facing the Texas Longhorns is another.

The Longhorns Defensive Line have begun the season looking pretty sharp in the trenches and they have been able to slow the run, which is always a key approach for any team at any level to adopt. Stop the run and making the Offensive game-plan one-dimensional will put the Longhorns in a position to try and bait the young Quarter Back into a mistake or two, while the Secondary have used that advantage up front to make big plays when the ball is thrown against them.

Trying to put it altogether on the road can be a test, but the Longhorns have to be confident in their ability on this side of the ball and that may give them the edge.

Stopping the run has been more of a test for the Volunteers Defensive Line and you just know the Texas plan will be to see if they can find the push at the Line of Scrimmage that will keep Arch Manning in third and manageable spots on the field. That is so important on the road, even for a Quarter Back with some serious College experience, and the Longhorns have looked strong enough to believe they can establish the run with some success.

Arch Manning should then be given the time he needs to find his playmakers and it should also mean he is not having to hold onto the ball for long enough to allow the Volunteers to ramp up the pass rush.

Pressure up front has certainly helped the Secondary early in the season, but the Volunteers have not come up against any Offensive Line like the one the Longhorns will be running out onto the field and that gives the road team any advantage.

Moving the ball up and down the field is never going to be easy on the road in the SEC environment, at least not with any consistency.

However, the Longhorns do have enough about them to win at the Line of Scrimmage on both sides of the ball and the extra experience of Arch Manning should see him outperform Faizon Brandon and lead Texas to an important road win in Knoxville.

Illinois Fighting Illini @ Ohio State Buckeyes Pick: A loss to the Ohio State Buckeyes (2-1) was part of the reason the Texas Longhorns were the 'first team out' of the College Football Playoff in 2025.

This season it is the Buckeyes who were beaten by the Longhorns by a single point and that means Ohio State are going to have to move through a difficult schedule without too many more setbacks.

They open the Big Ten portion of the schedule with a home game against the Illinois Fighting Illini (2-1) who are also playing the first Conference game of the season. Much like the Buckeyes, Illinois have beaten a couple of overmatched opponents, but been beaten by a Power 4 opponent on the road in a narrow defeat, although the defeat to the Duke Blue Devils is against a significantly weaker opponent than the Texas Longhorns.

Controlling the Line of Scrimmage is going to be important for the Fighting Illini as they bid to find a way to establish the run against the toughest Defensive Line they will have faced so far. This always the approach that Head Coach Bret Bielema wants from his team with the hope the run game can then open up the passing lanes, and he will want to see the Fighting Illini stay in front of the chains.

Katin Houser is the Illinois Quarter Back and has begun his career with the team with a solid three game run, but the challenge will be that much greater if the Buckeyes Defensive Line wins up front. Even if they don't, Houser will be throwing into a Secondary that have started this season in really strong form and this is likely going to be a tough road environment for the Illinois Fighting Illini to find consistency Offensively.

Establishing an Offensive game-plan should be all the more comfortable for the Ohio State Buckeyes who have should have a comfortable balance on this side of the ball.

The Offensive Line are still working through the early issues, but the Buckeyes should be able to have some success running the ball and that should make things pretty easy for Julian Sayin at the Quarter Back position.

Ohio State have a lot of talent in the passing game, although Head Coach Ryan Day has admitted his team need to find some consistency on this side of the ball ahead of the start of Conference play. Being at home should help and the Buckeyes look strong enough on both sides of the ball to eventually be able to overwhelm the Fighting Illini.

Last season the Buckeyes won by 18 points on the road against this opponent, but a couple of key Defensive plays could help them add another ten points to that gap and cover this line.

Oklahoma Sooners @ Georgia Bulldogs Pick: A comfortable road win saw the Georgia Bulldogs (3-0) open the SEC play in the manner they would have expected, but the Arkansas Razorbacks may be the weakest team in the Conference. There is little doubt that the Oklahoma Sooners (2-1) represent a much tougher challenge, although the Sooners will arrive in Athens with plenty to prove having already suffered a loss to the Michigan Wolverines.

The Sooners will be going into a Bye Week before facing the Texas Longhorns in Week 6 and they are going to need to find some Offense to go with the strong Defensive performances that have been produced.

All of the questions are being asked of John Mateer at Quarter Back who had entered the College ranks without the same kind of reputation that had been built up in his first full season with the Washington State Cougars. A transfer to Oklahoma saw John Mateer help the team to a spot in the College Football Playoff, although the 14 Touchdown passes and 11 Interceptions suggested the team overcame the play of the Quarter Back.

In 2026, John Mateer has thrown for 652 yards with 6 Touchdowns and 3 Interceptions and the team have scored just 24 points in the last two games.

It simply has not helped that the Sooners Offensive Line have not been able to establish the run and this looks unlikely to change in Week 4 of the season. While the Georgia Bulldogs have yet to be tested, they have been very strong on the Defensive Line and forcing John Mateer to win this game out of third and long spots for much of the game is going to be the minimum expectation from the watching home fans.

Placing any Quarter Back in third and long spots consistently will see the pressure build on them, but John Mateer will also be dealing with a solid Georgia pass rush and a Secondary that will certainly feel they can force a turnover or two. His personal level has not been good enough to give the Sooners fans a lot of hope, but Oklahoma are always dangerous and the Georgia Bulldogs cannot afford to overlook them.

The road team will certainly believe the quality on the Defensive side of the ball will allow them to remain competitive and this is the toughest team that the Georgia Bulldogs will have faced.

David Stone is a doubt for this Week 4 game and that would be a bitter blow for the Oklahoma Defensive Line, which has been stout against the run and ahead of a big test against the Bulldogs Offensive Line. He is a disruptor that can get into the backfield, but any time missed by Stone will give Georgia an opportunity to establish the run and ease the pressure on Gunner Stockton.

After throwing for almost 3000 yards in 2025, Gunner Stockton has been leading the Bulldogs up and down the field in his time on the field in 2026. He has 9 Touchdown passes and has yet to throw an Interception, but Stockton will want to be in front of the chains if only to see the Sooners pass rush slowed down.

The Sooners Secondary have opened the season in fine form, but there are some talented playmakers around Gunner Stockton and the Bulldogs will feel they can do enough to keep drives moving.

It is a big spread set for the game, but Georgia look capable of shutting down the Oklahoma Offensive unit.

This could be key to set up some short fields and Gunner Stockton has begun the season looking very efficient.

If the Sooners are without David Stone, the Defensive Line takes a serious hit and that may be enough for the Georgia Bulldogs to produce at least three Touchdowns, which may be enough to secure a cover.

Utah Utes @ Iowa State Cyclones Pick: Winning games on the road is tough no matter what, but doing that in Conference play is always hugely challenging, regardless of how strong a team believes itself to be.

The Utah Utes (3-0) were considered a team that could perhaps challenge for the Big 12 Championship and earn a spot in the Playoff, and the three wins to open this season makes it nine in a row going back to the end of 2025. However, all three wins have been at home and, despite dominating, this is another test as Big 12 action gets underway.

The Iowa State Cyclones (2-1) are not unbeaten moving into the Conference, but they were only narrowly beaten by rivals Iowa Hawkeyes and have since bounced back with another win. Preseason expectations have been pretty low around the Cyclones who have had to replace Head Coach Matt Campbell with Jimmy Rogers, especially as that transition can take a bit of time, but there has been enough to like about them early on to believe they can surpass those expectations.

It is quite clear what the Cyclones have to do on the Offensive side of the ball, but whether they can do it is another matter.

Everything begins and ends with the running game and the Offensive Line have begun this season by helping open up big lanes that have been exploited by Aiden Flora. However, they are facing a Utah Defensive Line that have prided themselves about how they go about their business in the trenches and how effective Iowa State can be will be based around which of these teams wins up front.

Relying on Jaylen Raynor at Quarter Back to make enough plays with his arm could make it a long night in the office for the Cyclones on this side of the ball. Being able to run the ball has given Raynor time, but he has not been very efficient and will be under some duress from the Utes pass rush if left in third and long spots on the field.

There will be challenges for the Utah Utes when they have the ball, although they have shown a lot more Offensive balance than the Cyclones.

Much like the home team, Utah's Offensive Line have been able to open up some big running lanes and that has kept the team in front of the chains, but they are facing an Iowa State Defensive Line that have been pretty stout up front. That is likely to be the case, but the difference between the teams is that Utah can look to Devon Dampier at Quarter Back to continue his strong start to the season and keep the chains moving with his arm.

In three games, Dampier already has 7 Touchdowns with a single Interception, although plenty of respect has to be given to this Cyclones Secondary, even if they have not been as tested as they could have been. That will at least give Utah pause for thought, but the balance is the key to breaking this game open and the Utes can earn revenge for a home loss to Iowa State a couple of years ago.

Covering will not be easy, but Utah do look capable of largely controlling the ability of the Cyclones to move the chains with the same type of consistency as they can manage on the day. That may lead to a win in the field position battle through much of the contest and the Utes may end up pulling away for a double digit win on the road to show they can be huge contenders in the Big 12 in the weeks and months ahead.

MY PICKS: Texas Longhorns - 4.5 Points @ 1.91 Bet Fred (1 Unit)

Ohio State Buckeyes - 26.5 Points @ 1.95 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Georgia Bulldogs - 13.5 Points @ 1.86 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Utah Utes - 7.5 Points @ 1.91 Bet Fred (1 Unit)

Nebraska Cornhuskers - 5.5 Points @ 1.86 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Penn State Nittany Lions - 10.5 Points @ 2.00 Bet Fred (1 Unit)

Baylor Bears - 9.5 Points @ 1.86 Bet Fred (1 Unit)

Week 3: 1-4, - 3.17 Units (5 Units Staked, - 63.40% Yield)

Week 2: 2-3, - 1.28 Units (5 Units Staked, - 25.60% Yield)

Week 0: 0-3, - 3 Units (3 Units Staked, - 100% Yield)

College Football Week 3 Picks 2026 (Saturday 19th September)

The start of Conference play gets earlier and earlier every season and the expansion from eight to nine games in the SEC means that is another that will pit together teams very early in the season.

Revenge games are also on deck in Week 3 of the College Football season, but it is the Conference game between the Mississippi Rebels and LSU Tigers that ticks all the boxes and fireworks are expected.

Georgia Bulldogs @ Arkansas Razorbacks Pick: Beating up on non-Conference opponents, but especially those outside of the Power 4 Conferences, is not going to do anything for anyone when it comes to analysing how good a team like the Georgia Bulldogs (2-0) could be. Even concerns about the temperatures around those games are not going to matter, but all of that changes in Week 3 when the SEC gets underway.

Preseason expectations around the Bulldogs remain sky high, which is no surprise considering the successes they have had in recent years, and 2026 is seen as a year in which they will bounce back from a disappointing Quarter Final defeat in the Playoffs.

There is clearly a lot to like about the Bulldogs, but they will be well aware that every road game in the SEC can be very challenging and it does not matter what the preseason rankings may have stated.

With that in mind, Georgia have to travel to the Arkansas Razorbacks (1-1) with the right attitude and that is not expecting to turn up and win the game.

Instead they will have to put some hard work on the field to try and contain the crowd and then show the superiority of the roster constructed for the season.

The Razorbacks have another new Head Coach as they look to find the right formula to get back amongst the very best teams in the Conference, but Ryan Silverfield will be well aware of the challenges in front of him. Any first year Head Coach is going to have to suffer through some teething problems, especially when taking over at a struggling, underachieving school, and Ryan Silverfield got a first hand look at the issues in the blowout loss to the Utah Utes in Week 2.

It was a defeat on the road and playing an opening Conference game at home should mean playing in an intense atmosphere and one that could spook the road team.

Arkansas have to take advantage of that, although they are starting an inexperienced Quarter Back in KJ Jackson who had a very tough time throwing the ball against the Utah Secondary.

KJ Jackson can expect another tough afternoon, although he will be given the time and patience needed to build up experiences that will see him develop at the position. That does not mean the Razorbacks have nothing to lose, but it does allow Jackson to try and settle into the role he won over the summer and 2026 was always going to be something of a transitional season.

A bigger problem than the Quarter Back has been the Offensive Line play as Arkansas have struggled both to run the ball and to give KJ Jackson any time in the pocket. The early rushing numbers are very concerning ahead of the step up into the SEC level and the Razorbacks are unlikely to find a lot of room up front against this Bulldogs Defensive Line.

Not only does that make it very difficult for any Quarter Back to complete throws consistently out of obvious passing situations, but Jackson is likely to be faced with Georgia players flooding into the backfield and moving the ball is going to be very difficult for Arkansas throughout this game.

You can only expect things to be much more comfortable for Gunner Stockton, even if he is not expected to continue his early season success of scoring a Touchdown on every drive he has begun. Those previous drives have been against much weaker opponents than the one facing Stockton on Saturday, although he will still be pretty confident he can keep Georgia in positive situations throughout his time on the field.

The Bulldogs will be confident they can establish the run with a lot more consistency than the Arkansas Razorbacks and keeping Gunner Stockton in third and manageable spots should make life pretty comfortable for the Quarter Back. He will have noted that the Razorbacks Secondary are still learning what is expected from them and Gunner Stockton can put the Bulldogs in a position to cover a very big spread for any SEC road team in a Conference game.

Nothing will be easy for Georgia, but they will want to maintain the early season momentum and this may be the weakest opponent they will face in the SEC this season.

That means they will have an opportunity to lay down an early marker and the Bulldogs are capable of doing enough on both sides of the ball to do that.

Florida State Seminoles @ Alabama Crimson Tide Pick: Last year the Alabama Crimson Tide (2-0) were beaten by the Florida State Seminoles (1-1) on the road and it was a defeat that hung over their heads all season. They still snuck into the Playoff, although the Crimson Tide were beaten in the Quarter Final and the 2026 squad are going to do well to make the final twelve this time around.

Revenge is going to be a big motivator for the Alabama Crimson Tide as they prepare for to host the Florida State Seminoles and they will be heading into the game behind a big road win over the Kentucky Wildcats. It is a victory that will have given all associated with the Crimson Tide a huge boost in confidence, and that makes them dangerous added to the motivation to get one over the Seminoles.

Florida State have had two weeks to prepare for this game, which will help, but they were beaten by the SMU Mustangs in the last outing and the Head Coach Mike Norvell is sitting on an incredibly hot seat.

Having key supporters being removed from their positions only adds to the pressure on the Head Coach and another season with a losing record is not going to be accepted.

The Seminoles are going to be challenged when they have the ball in hand and that all begins at the Line of Scrimmage.

Florida State's Offensive Line have opened the season by putting some solid numbers on the board, but running the ball against the Alabama Defensive Line is going to be a different kind of test for them. There may be some successes, but the Crimson Tide should be able to force Florida State behind the chains and that gives the home team a big edge in the contest.

Ashton Daniels struggled in the loss to the Mustangs, and he is likely going to be put under pressure by the Alabama pass rush if the Quarter Back is operating from behind the chains. That could lead to mistakes, but it is very likely going to lead to stalled drives and that gives Alabama a big edge.

This is still a big line for the home team to cover and that means questioning whether Alabama can score enough points to clear the number set.

There are definitely some encouraging signs for the Crimson Tide as the Offensive Line have been able to at least keep the team in third and manageable spots, while Quarter Back Keelon Russell continues to grow into the role.

Keeping Russell in front of the chains is important, but Alabama have to be excited about the way the Quarter Back handled himself after a very difficult first half in the win over the Kentucky Wildcats last week. There have been some holes in the Florida State Secondary that have been exploited and the Alabama Crimson Tide can move the chains with confidence, which should see them placed in a position where a cover is very possible.

There is no escaping the fact that the Crimson Tide are unlikely to take their foot off the gas in this one after being upset by the Seminoles in 2025.

They have every chance of a statement performance in the revenge effort and Alabama can back up the big win over the Kentucky Wildcats by securing another here.

MY PICKS: Georgia Bulldogs - 24.5 Points @ 1.83 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Alabama Crimson Tide - 20.5 Points @ 1.86 Bet365 (1 Unit)

USC Trojans - 23.5 Points @ 1.91 Bet Fred (1 Unit)

LSU Tigers - 3 Points @ 1.85 Ladbrokes (1 Unit)

South Carolina Gamecocks - 3.5 Points @ 1.85 William Hill (1 Unit)

Week 2: 2-3, - 1.28 Units (5 Units Staked, - 25.60% Yield)

Week 0: 0-3, - 3 Units (3 Units Staked, - 100% Yield)

College Football Week 2 Picks 2026 (Saturday 12th September)

The first few days of September have been pretty challenging and it has meant that this thread has not been able to be as full as usual.

Week 2 of the College Football season is a time when teams begin to take on stronger opponents and there are some very big non-Conference games to be played that could have an impact in the final placings when it comes to the Playoffs later in the year.

From Week 3, there will be a real effort at a thread with some analysis to go along with the selections.

MY PICKS; Kansas State Wildcats - 17.5 Points @ 1.86 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Oklahoma Sooner - 4.5 Points @ 1.86 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Clemson Tigers - 19.5 Points @ 1.83 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Auburn Tigers - 32.5 Points @ 1.86 Bet365 (1 Unit)

USC Trojans - 30.5 Points @ 1.80 William Hill (1 Unit)

Week 0: 0-3, - 3 Units (3 Units Staked, - 100% Yield)

College Football Week 0 Picks 2026 (Saturday 29th August)

Eight months have passed since the Indiana Hoosiers won the National Championship and that underlines the point that this is a new era in College Football.

Schools all around the country have figured the importance of being able to offer big NIL contracts to players and that means those traditional powerhouses no longer have the same advantage over others as they once did.

Conferences are deeper and much more competitive than they were and that is likely going to lead to an expansion in the Playoffs sooner rather than later, although no deal was completed to have that happen at the end of the 2026 season.

Changes to rosters have always been very common in College Football as players choose to move onto the professional level, but the NIL contracts do allow for players to stick around longer at this level and develop further before taking the leap into the NFL. It felt the case for some of the top names returning to College Football, including Archie Manning, although the schools have come together to currently ban those players who have skipped to the pro Leagues without completing College eligibility who are now pushing to be able to return to this level.

Dae'Quan Wright may have been suiting up for the Cleveland Browns, but took up an offer to play for the LSU Tigers in 2026, although it is a move that is still travelling through the legal system after the SEC stepped up and made Wright ineligible to play.

We are likely to hear how the courts decide that should be played out over the course of the season, although the NFL has made it clear that anyone who signs with a College team is not able to play in the pro Leagues this season.

Despite the new era of College Football with all of the NIL deals flying around, the usual suspects will begin the season at the top of the unofficial Rankings.

Ohio State, Oregon, Georgia, Notre Dame and Texas all come in before the defending Champions Indiana and the Big Ten Conference has taken over from the SEC as the best at this level.

Well, that should say best at the very top, although the SEC remains a deep, competitive Conference that will see teams feast on one another having created a schedule where each teams play an additional Conference game compared with previous seasons.

Five SEC teams made the twelve team Playoff in 2025 with the Playoff Committee respecting the level of competition faced, but it is telling only one made the Semi Final.

Controversies are never that far behind, even with an expanded Playoff field, and the Miami Hurricanes being invited into the tournament and the ACC Champion missing out raised eyebrows. However, the Hurricanes made up for that by reaching the National Championship Game before narrowly coming up short against the Indiana Hoosiers.

Week 0 is a pretty quiet week as the College Football season begins, but this is an exciting time for fans and we do have an international game being played in Ireland.

Later in the season there is another being played at Wembley Stadium in London as College Football follows the NFL in expanding the game. This is a positive for the international fans, although those back home may be concerned of losing big games to places where those may not be appreciated as much as they would be in the usual setting.

2025 was a tough year for the College Football Picks and the last couple of years have been disappointing.

It is something that has needed some adjustments as to how picks are to be made and that will hopefully be seen in the results over the next five months.

There will be some ups and downs, but there were too many really poor weeks in 2025 and that cannot happen again, although the game is played on a field and not on paper so you also need to have that luck of the fine margins to move in the direction we would want to see.

TCU Horned Frogs vs North Carolina Tar Heels Pick: The College Football season will kick off on Saturday, but in Dublin rather than the United States, when the TCU Horned Frogs and North Carolina Tar Heels face off.

The two had contrasting seasons in 2025 with the Horned Frogs finishing with a 9-4 record and the Tar Heels at 4-8, which was most disappointing seeing as it was the first year under Head Coach Bill Belichick.

Off field distractions did not help, but it should also be pointed out that College teams do take a bit of time to implement methods of new Head Coaches. In the past, the impact may not be assessed until a couple of recruiting years to put a team together that could be competitive, but that process can be speeded up in the NIL contract era and the Tar Heels will be hoping the former New England Patriots Head Coach's reputation can do that for them.

The last recruiting class was praised, but Belichick may have hoped for calmer preparation for the 2026 season and has not been the case.

Michael Lombardi has been forced to accept administrative leave having had a complaint made against him and Bill Belichick's son, Steve, has been the Defensive Co-Ordinator, but has taken time away from the team for medical reasons.

A new Offensive Co-Ordinator is going to be asked to improve the North Carolina Tar Heels after the struggles of last season, and Bobby Petrino is very experienced at the College Football level. He is going to have a new Quarter Back leading the Tar Heels after Billy Edwards Jr earned the starting job, but the limited experience in College Football is one issue and he missed the majority of 2025 with an injury having started a couple of times for the Wisconsin Badgers before transferring to North Carolina.

Billy Edwards Jr is going to be tested by this TCU Defensive unit, even if Jacob Fields was told to leave the team after an issue with a teammate, and the problem may all begin up front with the Tar Heels unlikely to establish the run with any consistency.

That will force the Quarter Back into a tough spot as he has to take to the air to keep the chains moving and it may allow the Horned Frogs to win the battle of field position.

Last year, the Horned Frogs blew out the North Carolina Tar Heels as the road favourite and restricted the home team to just 50 yards on the ground. They are unlikely to be that stout again, but the Horned Frogs Defensive Line will feel they can win up front and that will offer them a big chance to control this game.

A new Quarter Back and a new Offensive Co-Ordinator will be coming together for the TCU Horned Frogs who are hoping to challenge for the Big 12 Championship and, ultimately, a place in the College Football Playoff.

There is a real expectation that the TCU Offensive plan will be much more balanced this season, while Jaden Craig becomes the starting Quarter Back looking to show the NFL what he can do at a stronger College level than he previously played. Jaden Craig played well with Harvard, and earned some interest from NFL scouts, but playing in the Big 12 Conference will allow the Quarter Back to put stronger film on tape.

One of the keys to the development of the Quarter Back is to avoid the big turnovers and Jaden Craig has shown plenty of ability to do that while preparing for the season, which will give Head Coach Sonny Dykes plenty of confidence. The Horned Frogs have Jeremy Payne back to give the Offensive unit balance as the leading Running Back from last year and the expectation is that TCU will have too much for the Tar Heels for a second season in a row.

It was a blowout last year and this one should be much more competitive, but TCU look like a team that will be amongst the best in the Big 12, while the Tar Heels are still growing under Bill Belichick. Being without the Defensive Co-Ordinator cannot be good news for North Carolina and a double digit win for the TCU Horned Frogs to open this season looks likely.

San Jose State Spartans @ USC Trojans Pick: There are many teams around the College Football scene who would be very happy with a season of nine wins, but the USC Trojans are expected to challenge for a place in the College Football Playoff and that has simply not happened under Head Coach Lincoln Riley.

This is the fifth season Lincoln Riley will be Coaching the Trojans and they have failed to win at least ten games since his opening season when a loss in the Pac-12 Championship Game cost the team a chance of entering the Playoff.

USC are just 16-10 in the last couple of seasons and things are not going to be easy in 2026 as they play in the loaded Big Ten Conference where the defending Champions Indiana and favourites to win the next National Championship Ohio State Buckeyes both operate.

It can be argued that the Trojans enter this season behind former Pac-12 rivals Oregon Ducks as well, but they can only focus on their own schedule for now. The next couple of months will see the Trojans have plenty of chances to prove themselves as they will be hosting both Oregon and Ohio State and playing Indiana on the road, but building momentum before that run of games in late September through to November will be the key for this Big Ten team.

Lincoln Riley is under pressure with the expectation around the Trojans who are bringing back plenty of starters and who have an experienced Quarter Back in Jayden Maiava leading the team on this side of the ball. After throwing 3700 yards and 24 Touchdowns in 2025, Jayden Maiava will be looking to lessen the turnovers having thrown 10 Interceptions last year and doing that will certainly put the Trojans in a strong position to be successful.

They are very big favourites to open the season with a victory over the San Jose State Spartans who finished with a 3-9 record last year having won at least seven games in four of the previous five seasons. San Jose State are overseen by an experienced and successful Head Coach in Ken Niumatalolo, but this is a team with low expectations as they continue what is a rebuilding project in the third year under this Head Coach.

You do have to respect the fact that Ken Niumatalolo will get the best out of his team and the Spartans were 'only' beaten by 31 points at the Texas Longhorns last year.

He does have a new Quarter Back in Luke Weaver after a couple of contenders were beaten out in training camp, but it should be noted that Weaver has limited experience of playing at the FBS level of College Football and certainly will not have been used to competing against team likes the USC Trojans.

Making things more challenging is that Luke Weaver and the Spartans are facing a USC Trojans Defensive unit that have a new Defensive Co-Ordinator in Gary Patterson and who are looking to show they can compete with the very top teams in the Big Ten. Players are excited to be playing in the system being run by Patterson, while his time with the TCU Horned Frogs saw the new Defensive Co-Ordinator produce a strong TCU Defensive unit year after year as the Head Coach.

This is a huge spread, but the USC Trojans opened last season with a 60 point and a 39 point win in non-Conference games and playing in Week 0 means the team have a chance to make an early statement to the rivals in a strong viewing spot.

The expectation is that the Trojans Defensive unit will be looking to really show up for Gary Patterson and that can create the turnovers and big plays to set the Offensive unit up with short fields. It could end up seeing the Trojans pulling easily clear, although there is always a concern with a spread like this one that a big lead can sometimes lead to a team coasting and allowing a backdoor cover even when dominating almost all aspects of a game.

New Mexico State Aggies @ Florida State Seminoles Pick: The end of the 2023 season will always sting those associated with the Florida State Seminoles and seeing rivals Miami Hurricanes reach the National Championship Game last year may only have added to the frustration that lingers around the Head Coach.

A 7-17 record in the last two years means Mike Norvell cannot hope that the feel-good factor of the 2023 season can keep him in charge of the Seminoles if they are not able to produce a much stronger season all around in 2026.

It also means four of the six seasons played under Mike Norvell have ended with a losing record and there is going to be little patience with the Head Coach if the Florida State Seminoles cannot build momentum into this season.

The Seminoles are big favourites opening up against the New Mexico State Aggies, but they move into 'prove it' games very quickly with the SMU Mustangs and Alabama Crimson Tide on deck. The ACC has been a pretty open Conference, but the Seminoles will need transfer Ashton Daniels to finally feel settled in the Quarter Back position having bounced from Stanford to Auburn before arriving in Tallahassee.

Florida State fans will be questioning the standard of the roster after pre-season predictions were made and the Seminoles are not expected to be one of the stronger teams in the Conference. This will not be good news for the Head Coach, but this opening game gives Florida State an opportunity to come out and make an immediate statement about what they can achieve.

Head Coach Tony Sanchez is not under the same pressure as his counterpart, but that does not mean he personally and the New Mexico State Aggies have no expectations of their own. After finishing with winning records in 2022 and 2023, the Aggies have had three wins in 2024 and four in 2025 and Sanchez is looking for the team to take the next step.

New Mexico State play in the Conference-USA and that means this is a significantly tougher opponent than one they would be playing in most weeks.

Last year, the one major school faced saw the Aggies blown out mid-season by the Tennessee Volunteers, and in 2026 they are going to be starting this season with a Quarter Back who is moving up from the FCS level, which can be challenging too.

22 Interceptions in the last couple of seasons suggests Trey Hedden could have to go through a quick learning curve at this level and Florida State may be able to create one or two short fields to really begin to pull away.

No one associated with the Seminoles is going to be looking back at 2025 with any fondness, but it should be noted that the team were able to produce two massive wins when facing lower level opponents. One was against a FCS opponent, but Florida State also crushed Kent State from the MAC and there is every reason to believe they can win in Week 0 very comfortably before heading into much tougher contests over the weeks and months ahead.

MY PICKS: TCU Horned Frogs - 8.5 Points @ 1.83 Bet365 (1 Unit)

USC Trojans - 38.5 Points @ 1.85 William Hill (1 Unit)

Florida State Seminoles - 30.5 Points @ 1.85 William Hill (1 Unit)

College Football National Championship Pick 2026 (Monday 19th January)

It may not have been the game many would have predicted to round out the College Football season, but both the Miami Hurricanes and Indiana Hoosiers have proven their worth through the post-season.

The Big Ten Champions are the favourites, but the Hurricanes have played really well over the last several weeks and being the 'host' can certainly help.

Just like that, the College Football season is coming to a close on Monday as the National Championship Game determines who takes over from the Ohio State Buckeyes as the best team in College Football.

Indiana Hoosiers vs Miami Hurricanes Pick: This game is being played at the Hard Rock Stadium, which is the Miami Hurricanes (13-2) home, but you do have to feel that there is a significant gap for them to bridge against the Indiana Hoosiers (15-0). Has that fact that this is a 'home game' for the Hurricanes factored into the line set for the game? Possibly, but the Hoosiers have won everywhere this season and they are rightly down as strong favourites to win the National Championship.

There will be a lot of focus on the Miami Defense and whether they can do enough to keep the Hurricanes in this game and that is where a potential blowout will be determined in my opinion.

All eyes will be on the Miami pass rush, which has been critical in helping the team drive through the Playoff and into the National Championship Game- they will know they need to rattle Fernando Mendoza, who is set to be the first overall Pick in the next NFL Draft, and try and stall drives with the pressure that can be generated by a powerful Defensive Line.

It begins at the Line of Scrimmage where the Indiana Hoosiers have been decent at getting a push up front, but not expected to have a huge game running the ball. The Miami Defensive Line have continue to clamp down on the run and so the pressure is going to be on Fernando Mendoza to make plays with his arm.

However, for all of the successes the Hurricanes have had in bringing down the opposition Quarter Back, it shoudl be noted that Indiana have an Offensive Line capable of giving Mendoza the one or two extra seconds he will need to attack this Secondary.

And despite all that pressure generated at the Line of Scrimmage, it should be noted that there are gaps in the Miami Secondary that can be exposed by this efficient Indiana Offense.

All of this means that the Hoosers are going to be expected to get some points on the board and it will be up to Carson Beck and the Miami Offensive unit to try and make enough plays to keep up on the scoreboard.

Much like Indiana, the Miami Offensive Line is not expected to rip open consistent running lanes against a Hoosiers Defensive Line that have been stout up front all season. They will want to make sure they are forcing Carson Beck to beat them with his arm and like Indiana on the other side of the ball, Miami are expected to need to the Quarter Back to have a big game throwing in order to keep the chains moving.

He has shown he can do that, but Carson Beck is not going to have a clean pocket- the Miami pass rush has grabbed the headlines, but these Indiana pass rushers are no slouches and they have made multiple hits on the opposition Quarter Back during the last several games. Adding up is the number of Sacks they have also produced and Miami's Offensive Line may not offer the same sort of time as Indiana potentillay give to Fernando Mendoza.

Carson Beck has also not been nearly as confident as Mendoza, despite his own College experience being substantial, and that is where the spread may end up getting away from the Hurricanes. The Quarter Back has been avoiding critical turnovers, but Beck is likely going to be asked to make plenty of throws under pressure and the Miami passing game has not been as consistent as the one Indiana will be bringing onto the field.

The Hurricanes are plenty talented and so will have some successes, but the consistency could be lacking and even being at home may not be enough against a powerful Indiana team looking to win a first Football National Championship.

Miami have beaten Ohio State during this Playoff run, which has to be respected by the Hoosiers who play in the same Conference as the Buckeyes and know how good they are. On that day it was the Miami Defensive unit that made some big plays, but Head Coach Curt Cignetti should have prepared his Indiana team to avoid his team shooting themselves in the foot as Ohio State did.

Covering will not be easy, but the feeling is that the Indiana Hoosiers will pull into a double digit lead at the top of the Fourth Quarter and then make a couple of big Defensive plays to move into a position to win and cover.

MY PICK: Indiana Hoosiers - 7.5 Points @ 1.91 Bet365 (1 Unit)

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

Quarter Final: 2-2, - 0.26 Units (4 Units Staked, - 6.50% Yield)

First Round Playoff: 3-1, + 1.67 Units (4 Units Staked, + 41.75% Yield)

Week 15: 2-2, - 0.29 Units (4 Units Staked, - 7.25% Yield)

Week 14: 5-2-1, + 2.44 Units (8 Units Staked, + 30.50% Yield)

Week 13: 3-3, - 0.35 Units (6 Units Staked, - 5.83% Yield

Week 12: 4-2, + 1.64 Units (6 Units Staked, + 27.33% Yield)

Week 11: 1-5, - 4.09 Units (6 Units Staked, - 68.17% Yield)

Week 10: 3-3, - 0.33 Units (6 Units Staked, - 5.50% Yield)

Week 9: 3-3, - 0.19 Units (6 Units Staked, - 3.17% Yield)

Week 8: 2-3, - 1.18 Units (5 Units Staked, - 23.60% Yield)

Week 7: 4-1, + 2.62 Units (5 Units Staked, + 52.40% Yield)

Week 6: 2-4, - 2.22 Units (6 Units Staked, - 37% Yield)

Week 5: 1-5, - 4.20 Units (6 Units Staked, - 70% Yield)

Week 4: 2-4, - 2.14 Units (6 Units Staked, - 35.67% Yield)

Week 3: 4-4, - 0.36 (8 Units Staked, - 4.50% Yield)

Week 1: 1-4, - 3.14 Units (5 Units Staked, - 62.80% Yield)

Week 0: 2-1, + 0.75 Units (3 Units Staked, + 25% Yield)

College Football Week 15 Picks 2025 (Friday 5th December-Saturday 6th December)

Championship Week is always going to be important to teams around the College Football landscape and there are some big games to be played in 2025.

This time there are a few teams who will be worrying that a defeat in the Championship Game would see them miss out on the Playoffs, while Seeding is still up for grabs.

Games will be played from Friday through Saturday before the College Football Playoff Bracket is released next week.

Kennesaw State Owls @ Jacksonville State Gamecocks: Neither of these teams are Ranked as far as the College Football Playoff goes so the winner is not going to be thinking about pushing their way into the top twelve positions at the end of Championship Week.

However, make no mistake about the importance of winning the Conference USA Championship for both and that is going to mean plenty of motivation and intensity on the field.

Both the Kennesaw State Owls (9-3) and Jacksonville State Gamecocks (8-4) finished with 7-1 records in the Conference, although it is the Gamecocks who get to host the Championship Game having beaten the Owls three weeks ago.

Despite that win, the Gamecocks have been set as home underdogs again, although the line has dipped below a key number 3 from the regular season meeting compared with this Championship Game.

Kennesaw State will certainly feel they were the better team when losing in this Stadium, but the four turnovers on the day proved costly and the stronger yardage produced could not make up for that.

The Owls bounced back as would have been expected from that setback, but the pressure will be on Quarter Back Amari Odom who threw 3 Interceptions without a single Touchdown pass in the loss to Jacksonville State. This is not going to be far from the mind when he steps back in this one, although even a slightly cleaner game from that Quarter Back position is going to give the Owls an edge.

As the season has wound down, the Gamecocks have just had a few more issues controlling the Line of Scrimmage on the Defensive side of the ball and that means an opportunity for Kennesaw State to keep the Quarter Back in third and manageable spots. This should also mean having a clean pocket from which to throw down the field, while not needing to force the ball so much against a Secondary that will give up some big passing numbers, but who have thrived on picking off some of those pass attempts.

Capitalising on mistakes will be the plan for the home team who have been much cleaner with their execution and who will not think a Punt is the same as a defeat. Instead there will be patience from the Gamecocks to keep playing the field battle if they have to, while Jacksonville State have to be hugely encouraged with the problems the Owls Defensive Line have been having when it comes to stopping the run.

This is something that Jacksonville State will feel they can exploit, especially as the Gamecocks were rushing at 6 yards per carry in the win over Kennesaw State in the regular season.

Caden Creel will then be asked to keep things simple in the passing game and the Jacksonville State Gamecocks will be confident in earning another upset.

It could be another back and forth affair in this Championship Game, but the narrow edge has to remain with the Kennesaw State Owls and that is largely by building on what they learned from the regular season defeat. You have to believe the turnover gap will not be nearly as large as it was in that loss, and Kennesaw State have been playing well enough to think that even halving the number will be enough to secure the road victory.

The key will be to take Jacksonville State out of their comfort zone and forcing them to get into obvious passing situations, although that won't be easy.

Instead it could be Amari Odom who can earn redemption with a cleaner game than the first time around against the Gamecocks and the Quarter Back can lead the Owls to a Championship.

Troy Trojans @ James Madison Dukes Pick: The Sun Belt Championship has to be the main aim for both of these teams, but the James Madison Dukes (11-1) potentially have more on the line when hosting the Championship Game.

They dominated the Conference with a perfect 8-0 record and the Dukes have been rewarded by being placed as the Number 25 team in the Rankings.

With that in mind, winning the Sun Belt Championship may yet see the James Madison Dukes earn a spot in the College Football Playoff, although they will need some results to go their way on Saturday. That does mean the team can focus on winning a Championship on Friday in front of the home fans, even if the likelihood is that Head Coach Bob Chesney is set to depart James Madison for the vacant role with the UCLA Bruins.

Bob Chesney has not been able to deny those reports with the expectation being that he will move on, but he has given a lot of credit to the school and the players who have represented him and the Head Coach will be desperate for a Championship.

His team are hosting the Troy Trojans (8-4) who finished 6-2 in the Conference and winning the West Division.

The two teams had very different experiences facing the Old Dominion Monarchs, but that won't count for anything in this one-off game.

The Trojans are not going to make the College Football Playoff even with a win, but a Conference Championship is a big achievement for any team and they can use the 'inferiority complex' to motivate the players in this one.

Instead of having to worry about potentially 'impressing' the Playoff Committee, the Trojans will simply having been working on a plan to impose themselves Offensively. One of the big problems this season has been an inability to run the ball with any kind of consistency and Troy will not be expected to have a lot of impact trying to run the ball against this James Madison Defensive Line.

Goose Crowder returning at Quarter Back has given the Trojans something of a spark, and he has led the team to important wins to merely make the Championship Game.

However, throwing from third and long is tough enough without facing a Secondary like this one at James Madison, and especially when the Trojans Offensive Line have not always been the most productive in pass protection.

The Trojans should still have some success when it comes to moving the ball, although drives are expected to stall at times.

You cannot make that argument with as much confidence when it comes to this James Madison team that have found considerable balance when it comes to running and throwing the ball. Making things more comfortable is the fact that the Troy Defensive Line have had issues stopping the run, which in turn has made it that much more difficult when trying to slow down drives.

Alonza Barrett III may not be asked to throw too often in what are expected to be cold and potentially snowy conditions, but he can keep this drive ticking over when he is needed to do that.

Despite that, the Dukes should be comfortable showcasing their Offensive power and they will be looking to show the Playoff Committee why they should be a surprise contender for a place in the post-season amongst the elite of the College Football nation.

Conditions will make things tougher, but this team has dominated the Sun Belt Conference and they can do enough to win a Championship behind a dominant win.

BYU Cougars vs Texas Tech Red Raiders Pick: The Big 12 teams that came through the pack to both finish with 8-1 records in the Conference will be competing in the Championship Game.

The Texas Tech Red Raiders (11-1) and BYU Cougars (11-1) both have the same record, but it is Texas Tech who have been Ranked higher by the Playoff Committee and they are going to be competing in the Playoff regardless of the outcome. However, the BYU Cougars have effectively been asked to 'prove themselves' by winning the Big 12 Championship, even though the Big 12 Commissioner and both Head Coaches in this game have made it clear that both of these teams deserve their spot in the final twelve.

It is the regular season win secured by the Red Raiders over the Cougars that has given them the edge and Texas Tech are rightly favoured in the Big 12 Championship Game.

Errors made a big difference in the regular season loss, but it is going be a challenge for the Cougars to change things dramatically.

A problem is that the Cougars may struggle to run the ball, as they did in the regular season game against Texas Tech- they only had 2.5 yards per carry in that game and the Red Raiders Defensive Line have continued to clamp down on the run as the season has wound down.

Bear Bachmeier may have to carrry the burden for the BYU Offense, although there has been so much to like about this Texas Tech Secondary and the way they have backed up the stout Defensive Line. The Quarter Back struggled in that regular season meeting for consistency and that may be the case again in the Championship Game, which gives Texas Tech a big advantage.

Much like the Cougars, Texas Tech's Offensive Line may have a few problems when it comes to consistently pounding the rock on the ground.

However, Behren Morton is expected to have a few more holes to exploit when it steps back to throw the ball down the field, even though he will have to look out for the Cougars pass rush. If the team have placed Morton in third and manageable spots, the Quarter Back should be able to expose spaces in the BYU Secondary and that will give the Red Raiders a chance to back up the regular season win with another in the Championship Game.

Beating a team twice in the same season is never easy, but the Texas Tech Red Raiders have looked the stand out team in the Big 12 and they can secure another relatively comfortable win over the second best team in the Conference.

Duke Blue Devils vs Virginia Cavaliers Pick: Two years ago, the ACC were incredibly upset when the unbeaten Conference Champion was not called up to take part in the then four team College Football Playoff.

In 2025 there is potentially another situation developing where the ACC would not have a representative in the twelve team Playoff and it all comes down the Championship Game.

If the Duke Blue Devils (7-5) were to upset the Virginia Cavaliers (10-2), there is a real chance that the ACC will not be included in the Playoff- the Blue Devils finished 6-2 in the Conference and came out on the right side of a number of permutations to face the Cavaliers, who finished 7-1 in the ACC, and Duke will be looking for revenge after being blown out at home by this team three weeks ago.

The Cavaliers were dominant in that game, but they are well aware that this is a brand new day and the preparation has been to face a Duke team at their best.

However, it is the Virginia Defensive unit that looks very capable in shutting down the Duke Offense and that could be the key to the outcome, much as it was in the regular season.

Duke's Offensive Line is unlikely to have a lot of success running the ball against this Cavaliers team and that will mean Darian Mensah is going to have to step up for his team. He did have decent passing numbers in the first meeting, but Mensah will know how much of a challenge it is to keep the chains moving against this Virginia Secondary.

Of course the Blue Devils have nothing to lose and will pull out every play from the book to try and keep Virginia guessing, but the consistency they lack with the ball in hand is unlikely to be a similar problem for the Cavaliers.

Three weeks ago they piled up well over 500 Offensive yards against the Duke Blue Devils and the Cavaliers are likely to be very balanced when they have the ball in this one.

The Cavaliers Offensive Line is likely going to be the dominant force on the Line of Scrimmage and they should be able to make sure the team is in third and manageable spots for much of this game. This should only make things very comfortable for Chandler Morris at Quarter Back who will be aware of the issues Duke have had in the Secondary and the Cavaliers look like they can win well and make sure they earn their spot in the Playoff as the ACC representative.

Covering turned out to be pretty comfortable in the road win over the Blue Devils, but this one is likely to be closer with Duke pulling out all of the stops to try and keep up on the scoreboard.

With the strength of the Cavaliers on the Defensive side of the ball, Virginia should eventually begin to make the plays to pull away and earn a victory and cover to pick up the ACC Championship.

MY PICKS: Kennesaw State Owls - 1.5 Points @ 1.80 Ladbrokes (1 Unit)

James Madison Dukes - 23.5 Points @ 1.85 Ladbrokes (1 Unit)

Texas Tech Red Raiders - 12.5 Points @ 1.91 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Virginia Cavaliers - 4 Points @ 1.91 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Week 14: 5-2-1, + 2.44 Units (8 Units Staked, + 30.50% Yield)

Week 13: 3-3, - 0.35 Units (6 Units Staked, - 5.83% Yield

Week 12: 4-2, + 1.64 Units (6 Units Staked, + 27.33% Yield)

Week 11: 1-5, - 4.09 Units (6 Units Staked, - 68.17% Yield)

Week 10: 3-3, - 0.33 Units (6 Units Staked, - 5.50% Yield)

Week 9: 3-3, - 0.19 Units (6 Units Staked, - 3.17% Yield)

Week 8: 2-3, - 1.18 Units (5 Units Staked, - 23.60% Yield)

Week 7: 4-1, + 2.62 Units (5 Units Staked, + 52.40% Yield)

Week 6: 2-4, - 2.22 Units (6 Units Staked, - 37% Yield)

Week 5: 1-5, - 4.20 Units (6 Units Staked, - 70% Yield)

Week 4: 2-4, - 2.14 Units (6 Units Staked, - 35.67% Yield)

Week 3: 4-4, - 0.36 (8 Units Staked, - 4.50% Yield)

Week 1: 1-4, - 3.14 Units (5 Units Staked, - 62.80% Yield)

Week 0: 2-1, + 0.75 Units (3 Units Staked, + 25% Yield)

College Football Week 14 Picks 2025 (Friday 28th November-Saturday 29th November)

In previous years, Rivalry Week was all about the one-off game and having bragging rights for a full year.

While this is still the case for some teams, for others the game in front of them represents the final hurdle as far as earning a spot in the College Football Playoff is concerned.

Others still can afford a defeat this week and still remain on course to achieve all they want- think back to the Ohio State Buckeyes of 2024 who lost to the Michigan Wolverines AGAIN, and still earned a spot in the Playoff and ultimately finished the season as National Champions.

Now that is not to say that the entire Buckeye nation is not looking for revenge and to end this losing run against the Wolverines, but they certainly have more room to operate than say a team like the Mississippi Rebels, who will be facing rivals Mississippi State Bulldogs on the road.

Lane Kiffin's future will be confirmed on Saturday, but Friday is about winning to move into the Playoff, or losing and likely seeing Mississippi miss out.

The Alabama Crimson Tide, Miami Hurricanes, BYU Cougars and Oklahoma Sooners all have big games in which they are trying to stay alive in the Playoff conversation and so Rivalry Week has become so much more in 2025.

It was another inconsistent week for the College Football Picks in what has been another tough season.

Bad bounces hurt in places, but there have been too many poor selections and so the next few weeks need to be almost perfect to turn the numbers back around.

Games in Week 14 have been spread over a few days and selections from the Saturday offerings will be added to this thread, which begins with two Black Friday Picks.

Mississippi Rebels @ Mississippi State Bulldogs Pick: Double digit wins have become very common for the Mississippi Rebels (10-1) under Head Coach Lane Kiffin, but those successes have earned Kiffin plenty of attention.

After teams in the SEC fired Head Coaches during the course of the season, Lane Kiffin's name was at the top of the shortlists in Florida and LSU, two schools that feel they can offer the Head Coach more than Ole Miss.

A final decision on his future is expected to be announced as soon as Saturday, but an agreement has been made to keep Lane Kiffin as Head Coach for this hugely important Egg Bowl against rivals Mississippi State Bulldogs (5-6).

All of the attention is on Mississippi with the feeling being that a win for the Rebels will actually take them into the College Football Playoff, although there is also an outside chance it will be good enough to compete in the SEC Championship. Upsets will be needed for that to happen so the sole focus for the Rebels is making sure they win this game and avoid all the distraction around the Head Coach.

However, this is also an important game for the Mississippi State Bulldogs who are trying to end a three year wait to become Bowl eligible and who are also hoping to snap the two game losing run in this rivalry.

Both teams are playing after Bye Weeks, but there is going to be a question about how much Lane Kiffin's future has been a distraction to the players. They do have so much to earn out of winning this game, but the Rebels will have to focus if they are going to beat a Mississippi State Bulldogs team that have been plenty competitive, despite the 1-6 record in the SEC.

The Bulldogs have struggled to run the ball in recent outings and that is going to be an issue with the team likely to be a little one-dimensional in this game.

Blake Shapen has been sharing a bit of time with Kamario Taylor at Quarter Back and they are going to have to deal with the Ole Miss pass rush, regardless of who is operating behind Center. The Bulldogs Offensive Line have struggled to protect the Quarter Back as much as they have had issues in run blocking and that pressure can lead to mistakes, especially facing this Rebels Secondary that are still playing very hard in the bid to help the team reach the College Football Playoff.

This is a rivalry game so you have to expect motivation to help players produce at a higher level than they have been, but it is tough to see how the Mississippi State Defensive Line can slow the Rebels on the ground. In recent games they have allowed teams to rip off some big gains rushing the ball and Ole Miss are always going to use the Offensive Line to make life that much easier for Quarter Back Trinidad Chambliss.

Rushing the ball with some efficiency should also keep the pocket clean when the Quarter Back does drop back to throw the ball and this Rebels team have made some big passing plays in the four game winning run.

The Rebels have won four of the last five in this rivalry series and three of those wins have been by more than 7 points.

Distractions off the field and the decision to be made by the Head Coach have to be factors, but Ole Miss can show they are ready to compete in the College Football Playoff by putting together a solid road win in Starksville.

Indiana Hoosiers @ Purdue Boilermakers Pick: They have one foot in the Big Ten Championship Game, but the Indiana Hoosiers (11-0) will be motivated to beat a rival and finish the year unbeaten.

A win in Week 14 will likely be all the Hoosiers need to earn their place back in the College Football Playoff too and the development of this school over the last eighteen months has been really impressive. They are the Number 2 Ranked team in the Playoff Rankings and Indiana are going to want to maintain momentum ahead of what is expected to be a battle of unbeaten teams against the Ohio State Buckeyes in the Big Ten Championship Game.

The Purdue Boilermakers (2-9) would love to throw a spanner into the works for a rival, but they are 0-8 in the Big Ten even if Head Coach Barry Odom insists there has been growth for a team that finished 1-11 last season.

Sustaining drives will be hugely challenging for the Boilermakers who are not expected to be able to run the ball with any kind of consistency.

This is not an Indiana pass rush that has been getting to the Quarter Back in recent games, but this is a Secondary that have been capable of making plays as teams have perhaps become a little too one-dimensional against them. The Hoosiers will certainly feel they can contain the Purdue threat considering the Boilermakers have not scored more than 16 points in any of the last three games, while suffering blowout losses to the Buckeyes and Washington Huskies.

Indiana should be pretty comfortable putting the ball on the ground and using the Offensive Line to open up some solid lanes against this struggling Purdue Defensive Line.

It should all lead to Fernando Mendoza having time when he does step back to throw and the Hoosiers should be able to exploit this Secondary. A couple of key players will be back to shake off any fitness issues ahead of what is expected to be an appearance in the Big Ten Championship Game and Indiana may not want to give too much away on the film tape, but they should still be comfortable in moving the ball both through the air and on the ground.

You have to expect the Boilermakers are going to be hugely motivated by the fact that they were blown out 66-0 in Indiana last season.

However, this Hoosiers team may be even better than the one the Boilermakers travelled to face last season and Indiana could run through this spread, even if the Buckeyes failed to cover a similar number.

Miami Hurricanes @ Pittsburgh Panthers Pick: Six teams still have some pathway into the ACC Championship Game and being able to keep alive Playoff consideration hopes.

Two of those are meeting in the early Saturday slot in College Football knowing they have to win and then hope things break their way later in the day.

The team that is perhaps going to have to go into the political business is the Miami Hurricanes (9-2) who have a win over the Notre Dame Fighting Irish, but are just 5-2 in the Conference this season. They are clearly playing with 'style points' in mind and the Hurricanes are plenty respected as the highest Ranked team in the ACC, but they are unlikely to find a way into the top twelve without playing in, and likely winning, the ACC Championship Game.

Miami will have to first concentrate on this one before looking for a number of results to land their way the rest of the way- losing would mean elimination from all talk of a Playoff spot and so that has to be the focus, rather than concerning themselves too much about the upsets that will be needed to earn a spot in the Championship Game instead.

They are travelling to another interested party in the permutations when facing the Pittsburgh Panthers (8-3) who actually did Miami a favour by knocking off the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets in Week 13. 

It means Pittsburgh have improved to 6-1 in the Conference and the path into the ACC Championship Game is much easier to manage- they need to win in Week 14 and hope either SMU or Virginia are upset as big favourites.

Again, those other games are out of the control of the Panthers and so the sole focus has to be on winning at home and matching the nine wins that were secured in the 2022 season.

Credit has to be given to Pittsburgh for the way they played in the big win over the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets, but this is another significant test for them. They are going to be trying to run the ball against a very good Miami Defensive Line, which is important to at least slow down the Hurricanes pass rush that will be looking to expose the inexperience of Mason Heintschel at Quarter Back.

It has to be said again that the Panthers deserve credit for the Offensive output in the win last week and Heintschel will have taken a lot of confidence from having what is arguably his best game of the season. However, doing the same against the Miami Hurricanes is another big test for a young Quarter Back and especially if the pocket is collapsing around him.

Throwing in this Miami Secondary is not going to be easy under the pressure expected and Mason Heintschel will have to be wary of the Interceptions that can be created by the road team.

Haynes King got himself into an early hole in the loss last week, but Miami have to be very confident that Carson Beck can avoid the same type of mistakes at the Quarter Back position.

His Offensive Line is likely going to make sure that Beck is kept in third and manageable spots on the field and that should give the Quarter Back the time to attack this Pittsburgh Secondary that has been allowing players to thrive when throwing against them. The pocket is likely going to be kept clean for Carson Beck, but he will have noted that the Panthers picked up two more Interceptions last week in the win over the Yellow Jackets and winning the turnover battle feels vitally important to the outcome of this one.

Carson Beck had 2 Interceptions in the loss to the SMU Mustangs, but has bounced back in this three game winning run- in those victories, Beck has 8 Touchdown passes without throwing an INT and that gives the Miami Hurricanes the edge.

In recent seasons, Pittsburgh have been a very good home underdog to back, but they are 0-2 against the spread in that spot this season, including a blowout to the Notre Dame Fighting Irish. Head Coach Pat Narduzzi had suggested the game was not as important as others before that defeat, which may have contributed to the eventual performance, but the Panthers have also been well beaten by the Louisville Cardinals at home and Miami can at least offer an argument to the Playoff Committee by winning well here.

UCF Knights @ BYU Cougars Pick: The pressure is on the BYU Cougars (10-1) to finish the Big 12 season with one more win and improve the 7-1 record, while also confirming a spot in the Championship Game.

Of course there has to be a benefit from the fact that the Cougars will have no one else to blame but themselves if they are not able to secure a spot in that Championship Game and keeping Playoff hopes alive. The permutations have become very simple in the fact that the Cougars have to win this game and they are set as a big favourite to do that.

No one wants to underestimate the UCF Knights (5-6), especially as they have the motivation to earn a sixth win and to become Bowl eligible. Hopes were kept alive by beating struggling Oklahoma State in Week 13, but the Knights know they have to be a lot better to secure a win over one of the top teams in the Conference, especially having only produced a 2-6 record in Big 12 play.

Prior to that win, the Knights had been struggling and suffered blowout losses to the Texas Tech Red Raiders and Baylor Bears during a run of three straight defeats. This has been a team that have been struggling to run the ball and to ease the pressure on Quarter Back Tayven Jackson, and that is likely going to be an issue in this game against a tough BYU Defensive Line.

Some Quarter Backs have had recent success throwing the ball against the Cougars Secondary, although that is also as BYU have begun to play soft with a lead. Tayven Jackson will have a challenging time playing behind the chains, while that will also give the Cougars pass rush plenty of encouragement to pin the ears back and get after him when he drops back to throw the ball.

The Cougars should be more encouraged when they have the ball and this is a team that have continued to defy expectations after winning at Cincinnati as well as they did last week.

BYU's Offensive Line should be able to establish the run in this game against a 'weaker' opponent than some faced in recent weeks, while young Quarter Back Bear Bachmeier has been growing as a passer the longer the season has gone on. He will have seen the recent numbers that the UCF Secondary have been allowing and the Cougars should be able to move the ball with consistency, as long as they are not thinking too far ahead and what a win will mean to the team.

Last season the Cougars won very well as an underdog on the road at UCF, but they are hosting in Week 14 of the 2025 season and that should contribute to another strong win in this campaign.

MY PICKS: Mississippi Rebels - 6.5 Points @ 1.80 Ladbrokes (1 Unit)

Indiana Hoosiers - 28.5 Points @ 1.91 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Miami Hurricanes - 7 Points @ 1.91 Ladbrokes (1 Unit)

BYU Cougars - 17.5 Points @ 1.91 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Oklahoma Sooner - 10.5 Points @ 1.91 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Illinois Fighting Illini - 7 Points @ 1.91 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Alabama Crimson Tide - 5.5 Points @ 1.91 Bet365 (1 Unit)

USC Trojans - 21.5 Points @ 1.86 Bet Fred (1 Unit)

Week 13: 3-3, - 0.35 Units (6 Units Staked, - 5.83% Yield

Week 12: 4-2, + 1.64 Units (6 Units Staked, + 27.33% Yield)

Week 11: 1-5, - 4.09 Units (6 Units Staked, - 68.17% Yield)

Week 10: 3-3, - 0.33 Units (6 Units Staked, - 5.50% Yield)

Week 9: 3-3, - 0.19 Units (6 Units Staked, - 3.17% Yield)

Week 8: 2-3, - 1.18 Units (5 Units Staked, - 23.60% Yield)

Week 7: 4-1, + 2.62 Units (5 Units Staked, + 52.40% Yield)

Week 6: 2-4, - 2.22 Units (6 Units Staked, - 37% Yield)

Week 5: 1-5, - 4.20 Units (6 Units Staked, - 70% Yield)

Week 4: 2-4, - 2.14 Units (6 Units Staked, - 35.67% Yield)

Week 3: 4-4, - 0.36 (8 Units Staked, - 4.50% Yield)

Week 1: 1-4, - 3.14 Units (5 Units Staked, - 62.80% Yield)

Week 0: 2-1, + 0.75 Units (3 Units Staked, + 25% Yield)