We’ve reached the final regular season week of the season. Congratulations to everyone for sticking around this long and reading 18 Stripes this season. This season is far from over!
2024 Betting Record
ATS: 48-52-1
SU: 63-32-0
I am clawing myself back to .500 against the spread in 2024. This past weekend I picked up wins with covers by Florida, Arizona State, Kansas, and Oklahoma. However, I was only 3-3-0 straight up as I missed the Florida, Oklahoma, and Auburn upsets.
Week 14 Games to Watch
All times are Eastern. Rankings are from the CFP Committee.
Thursday Games
Memphis [+14] at Tulane
7:30 PM, ESPN
The AAC title game is already set between Army and Tulane so in that respect this game doesn’t need to be included in this week’s picks. However, the Green Wave are not only technically alive for a playoff spot they are the second in line right behind Boise State should the Broncos falter. The advanced stats don’t love Memphis all that much but this is still a quality Thanksgiving matchup between teams that are a combined 18-4.
Tulane 45
Memphis 38
Friday Games
Oregon State [+19] at Boise State
12:00 PM, Fox
This game shouldn’t be close but it’s worth a check-in on Black Friday if you’re waking up late from a food coma or already in stores somewhere shopping for insane deals. Boise State has been good this year but I’m not sure they’re that good, you know? They’re coming off a nail biter against one of the worst FBS teams last week. Maybe Oregon State gives them another scare.
Boise State 29
Oregon State 21
Georgia Tech [+19.5] at Georgia
7:30 PM, ABC
Tech usually doesn’t play very well when they visit Athens. Yet, this is one of the more scrappy Georgia Tech teams in recent memory and I feel good that this will be a tough, hard fought game. Georgia has all the reason to be looking ahead to the SEC Championship Game and might get caught scrambling late.
Georgia 32
Georgia Tech 27
Saturday Games
Michigan [+21] at Ohio State
12:00 PM, Fox
The pain and embarrassment of last year has worn off a bit but I hope Ohio State comes in with a healthy sense of revenge and is ready to bury a wounded Michigan program. They might have scored 50 against Northwestern last week, that’s nice. Still, Michigan has struggled mightily to top 20 points against anyone with a pulse in 2024. I don’t think they’ll get there in Columbus on Saturday.
Currently 17th in Big Ten rushing yards yet this fraud made the CFB 25 cover.
Ohio State 29
Michigan 9
Tennessee [-10.5] at Vanderbilt
12:00 PM, ABC
Beating both Alabama and Tennessee at home for Clark Lea would be an unbelievable season–maybe better than anything James Franklin ever achieved at Vanderbilt, right? Despite that amazing performance against the Tide, this Commodores offense remains so reliant on quarterback Diego Pavia running around and they’ve only averaged 18.1 points in the 6 games since. I think we’ll see a lot of defense but Tennessee pulling away eventually.
Tennessee 24
Vanderbilt 16
South Carolina [+2.5] at Clemson
12:00 PM, ESPN
South Carolina might be the best team no one is talking about. They are 8-3 with close losses to LSU and Alabama, plus they’ve beaten Texas A&M and Missouri. They also won last time they visited Clemson back in 2022. The Tigers need help to get to the ACC Championship but need to win this game anyway to stay in the playoff hunt. A Gamecocks win here would shake things up (surely they pass Ole Miss and Alabama in the rankings) and could land themselves a playoff spot maybe!?
Clemson 33
South Carolina 30
Auburn [+11.5] at Alabama
3:30 PM, ABC
Oh yeah, this Iron Bowl is going to be a rock fight extraordinaire.
Alabama 17
Auburn 13
Miami [-11] at Syracuse
3:30 PM, ESPN
This matchup looked weird to me despite the ACC/Big East ties between the schools. That’s because this will be only the 2nd meeting in football since 2003. How is this even possible? Syracuse will need a couple bounces to go their way but if Miami’s games this year are any indication a lot of weirdness could happen in upstate New York. The Orange have the offense to hang with Miami and this is definitely an upset in the making.
Upset in the dome?
Syracuse 49
Miami 45
Texas [-5] at Texas A&M
7:30 PM, ABC
After a 13-year break the Lone Star Showdown is back! We couldn’t have asked for much higher stakes, either. The winner gets to play in the SEC Championship Game against Georgia with an automatic playoff big still on the line. Texas is still in the playoffs even with a loss here so they might not have quite as much motivation. Weird, isn’t it? Will Texas want the extra mileage to face Georgia again just to get a possible 1st round bye? Quite possibly, yes! It’s been a weird year for the Horns–they are the highest ranked SEC team, rumors are swirling that Quinn Ewers wants to transfer again, and they have a great shot at a National Championship–yet many doubts still remain. I do like Texas to pull away and win this game in College Station with a cover, though.
Texas 30
Texas A&M 22
Not sure S. Carolina passes Bama or Ole Miss. by beating Clemson. The Committee would have to overlook SC losing to both in Oct. Oh, the hubbub that would cause in Dixie.