I told everyone Week One was tough. However, I didn’t think it would be 1-4 tough. To be completely honest, I couldn’t buy a winner last week, even outside of the games I wrote about. This week, I feel a lot more confident. We’ve gotten at least one game from every team under our belts and the ability to use that this week is absolutely huge. 1-4 is unacceptable and will not happen again. Mark my words.
UPDATED RECORD THROUGH TWO WEEKS: 3-5
Pitt (+6.5) vs Tennessee
Last week was a big trap game for Pitt. Rivalry game, new quarterback, new weapons. And the Panthers came away with a 38-31 win over a really good West Virginia team. For some reason, it seems like everyone and their mother is on Tennessee to cover this week. The Vols rock an electric offense, powered by QB Hendon Hooker, but am I supposed to be impressed by a 59-10 win over Ball State? Let’s remember, this is a Tennessee defense that was putrid last season. They choked away a 10 point lead last year to Pitt and I expect more of the same this year. Kedon Slovis is not Kenny Pickett, but he looked very solid in Week One. Playing this game at home is another huge advantage for the Panthers. Take Pitt and the points.
Miami (FL) vs Southern Miss OVER 54.5
Miami hung 70 on Bethune-Cookman last week, and I expect the points to fly again in this matchup with Southern Miss. The Canes were especially effective on the ground, an area Southern Miss struggled in last week against Liberty in a quadruple overtime loss. Miami has a lot to prove under new head coach Mario Cristobal, and I think part of that is putting on a show in front of their fans to bring that excitement back to the U. Furthermore, Southern Miss’ offense, led by RB Frank Gore Jr, should be able to score more than the 13 points Miami surrendered last week. I like the over a lot this weekend in Miami.
Georgia State (+7.5) vs North Carolina
My good friend and Student U alum Cody Goggins says there is no such thing as a rat line. You can now find him at Action Network, so what do I really know? However, if a rat line does exist, this is it. This line is a real head scratcher. Georgia State enters Saturday 0-1 after struggling mightily against South Carolina, eventually falling 35-14. On the other hand, UNC’s offense is humming on all cylinders averaging 59.5 PPG through their first two games. I think the major difference in this game is staying away from the final score of the Georgia State-South Carolina game and instead looking at the box score. The Panthers led SC 14-12 in the third before having two punts blocked for scores. Additionally, they out-gained the Gamecocks and got to QB Spencer Rattler, picking him off twice. We all know how bad UNC’s run defense is this year. Georgia State put up 200 yards rushing last week and feature a dual-threat QB in Darren Grainger. Look for the Panthers to run the ball and clean things up on special teams in Week Two. Give me Georgia State to cover in a game most people will be hammering UNC in.
