It was a weird week for our Week 3 under-the-radar plays. Both of our underdogs covered, with Bowling Green shockingly upsetting Marshall straight up. However, we finished 2-2 thanks to Wisconsin turning their matchup with New Mexico State into a showcase to flex their muscles (hopefully Ohio State gives them a taste of that this weekend), while Georgia State let us down… again.
Let’s see if we can get back to above .500 in Week 4. This week features a handful of matchups involving unranked Power Five teams.
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Check out Thor Nystrom's Week 4 College Football Power Rankings >>
2022 season record:'5-3-2
Kickoff:'Thursday, 7:30 p.m. ET
I’m sorry. I know we’re now 0-2-1 betting on Georgia State. And I know the Panthers lost straight up to Charlotte as 20-point favorites. And if you want to just skip this pick and move on, I get it.
But isn’t it just a little fishy that the 0-3 Panthers are getting less than a field goal against the undefeated Chants? There are a couple of reasons why.
Despite its unblemished record, Coastal Carolina isn’t as strong of a team as it was last season. NFL quarterback prospect Grayson McCall is back under center. But only three other starters returned on offense, with just a trio returning on the other side of the ball too.
I’m giving quarterback Darren Grainger one last chance against a Chanticleers defense that’s given up 289.3 passing yards per game to Army, Gardner-Webb and Buffalo.
Georgia State started last year 1-4 before winning six of seven down the stretch. I hope they’ll turn the corner a little earlier than last year. I’m also willing to believe there’s a reason why this spread is suspiciously short. Let’s try it again!
The pick:'Georgia State +2.5 (-110)
Kickoff:'Saturday, noon ET
The main story of this rivalry game will be Sonny Dykes’ return to SMU, where he helped put the program back on the map. And while all eyes might be on the offenses in this game, TCU’s defense deserves the attention.
Led by defensive coordinator Joseph Gillespie, the Horned Frogs’ defense ranks 35th against the run and 73rd against the pass while giving up just 30 points in wins over Colorado and Tarleton State. SMU can certainly score, as they’ve put up 40+ against North Texas and Lamar. Last week, SMU put up 520 yards against Maryland but converted them into just 27 points due to three turnovers. The Terrapins averaged 9.3 yards per pass and nearly six yards per rush.