This is it. Rivalry Weekend at Wannamakeabet.com. The Saturday we’ve been waiting for all season. A beautiful schedule of games and several that can impact the final four in the CFP. #7 Washington State and #16 Washington vie for Pac-12 North supremacy. #6 Oklahoma and #12 West Virginia will help determine the Big 12 championship game. #14 Utah State and #21 Boise State look to win the Mountain West’s Mountain. And last but certainly not least #4 Michigan and #10 Ohio State face off in “The Game” to determine the winner of the Big Ten East.
Last week was a great week for old man Morris. I went 4-2 and could have swept the board was it not for my heart being invested into both Ohio State and Syracuse. But we’re ready to rock again and crush the card so without further delay, here are our picks for this week’s slate of games. All lines are from Wannamakeabet.com.
#13 Florida (-5) at Florida State
The 5-6 Seminoles need this game against rival Florida to extend the longest bowl streak to 37 years. Unfortunately for FSU, it isn’t likely to happen. Florida comes into this game looking like the much better team. Feleipe Franks has played great, throwing for 435 yards and four touchdowns. He should rip this Seminoles defense that ranks 117th nationally in pass defense (270 passing yards allowed per game). Florida wins big.
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#6 Oklahoma (+3) at #12 West Virginia
Here we go big 12. If you like offense, then you’ll love this. Both Oklahoma and West Virginia rank in the top 10 in scoring offense (Nos. 1 and 10, respectively) and total offense (Nos. 1 and 10, respectively). It may come down to which team has the ball last that determines the winner of this game, though the Mounties have the better defense. And we think that’s what will make the difference when it’s all said and done. WVU has had an incredible season with some tough road wins but Saturday will seal the deal as they finally get over the hump and beat Oklahoma, which they have yet to do since joining the big 12.
#16 Washington at #7 Washington State (-3)
What would rivalry weekend be without the The Apple Cup. Another game with conference championship implications. No team looks better in the Pac-12 than Washington State, but it’s on them to end the Huskies’ five-year win streak in the Apple Cup. Gardner Minshew (4,325 passing yards, 36 touchdowns to seven interceptions) looks like a Heisman contender, but he’ll be going up against, statistically, the best defense he’s faced all season. The next-closest team would be Utah, against which Washington State scored its second-lowest points total in a 28-24 win. We think Mike Leach has his team ready for showdown en route to the Pac-12 championship game. State’s offense is just too good to be slowed down by anyone but the best in the country, and Washington is not in that category. Wash State wins a close one, but enough to cover.
# 4 Michigan (-4) at #10 Ohio State
“The Game” is finally here, and it’s huge. There would be no rivalry weekend without this one. The stakes are as high as it gets for Michigan and Ohio State, for reasons both on and off the field. The Wolverines come in looking far and away the more complete team, with a defense that could rival any in college football. Ohio State has managed escape after escape this season to arrive on this stage. It’d be easy to make this out to be a quarterback duel between Shea Patterson and Dwayne Haskins, but it will be important for both teams to achieve success on the ground to avoid becoming one-dimensional.
Right now, that favors Michigan with Rashan Gary and Devin Bush, though Chase Winovich will be a big storyline as well. This is going to be a very tough game for Michigan to win despite being the better team. They are fighting against poor recent history, being a road favorite, and having to beat their ultimate nemesis, which they have failed to do in recent history. Oh and they made the added mistake of guaranteeing a victory. This all spells Ohio State covering the spread and perhaps getting the outright victory. Again. Take the Buckeyes and the points. Click here for a deep dive on Ohio State – Michigan.
Morris Chambers is a senior college football analyst for Wannamakeabet.com