Wise is the bettor who consults Nick’s No-Nonsense Betting Tips before logging on to his sportsbook.
I may not always be perfect, but if you’ve followed my advice in the past, you’re money ahead.
Every Friday in this space throughout the 2024 college football season, I give you my straight-up picks for games involving SuperWest teams.
For those who don’t know, that includes all the former Pac-12 teams, the Mountain West, plus BYU.
On rare occasions, when I blow a pick (or two), I evaluate my mistakes the following week, analyzing where I may have gone wrong.
Last week, I went a disappointing 5-5. So, where did I go wrong? Just about everywhere, but the big misses were doubting Oregon in Autzen and thinking Washington had turned a corner after beating Michigan.
But enough of that. I’m still a solid 48-22 on the season, good for 69 percent.
I fully expect to be basking in the glory of success again this week—and you should, too.
As always, my selections include incredibly accurate game scores and just enough commentary to keep me from eating too many Oreos in the South Shore District of Seattle.
The bag is almost empty, so let’s get on with the picks!
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No. 2 Oregon at Purdue
Friday, Oct 18
5:00 pm PT, FOX
Oregon just beat Ohio State, and we’re talking about Purdue? Sometimes I’m a dick, Richard.
The key for this contest is for the Boilermakers to say f*ck it. They enter this contest with a backup quarterback and a 1-5 record.
But freshman Ryan Browne has thrown for 365 yards, three touchdowns, and no interceptions and almost engineered a great comeback against Illinois last week.
Still, the Ducks are in a different galaxy. The Boilermakers should get creative and have fun.
Oregon needs to take this game kinda seriously. Dan Lanning has built a complete roster with minimal holes. As long as Dillon Gabriel doesn’t throw four interceptions, the rest of the Duck talent should quack for itself.
That was too easy, same for Oregon.
UO continues its quest for a National Championship.
Oregon 45, Purdue 20
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Oklahoma State at No. 13 BYU
Friday, Oct 18
7:15 pm PT, ESPN
BYU is doing its thing right now. The Cougars enter this matchup 6-0 and rank No. 13 in the country.
Oklahoma State is sputtering. The Cowboys have lost three contests in a row and got mollywhopped by West Virginia two weeks ago.
The key to the contest should be the Cougs defense versus the OSU offense. BYU has the 15th-ranked scoring defense, which might be caught slippin’ against a dangerous State unit that hasn’t found its rhythm yet.
The Cowboys have a formidable trio on offense: Alan Bowman, Ollie Gordon, and De’Zhuan Stribling. Oklahoma State averages 30.2 points per game, which they’d consider underwhelming.
This game feels ripe for an upset, but it’s never easy to beat the Cougars at home, particularly when they’re in the midst of an outside run to the College Football Playoff.
The ROC proves to be the difference, ABC party in Provo.
BYU 31, Oklahoma State 30
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ASU at Cincinnati
Saturday, Oct 19
9:00 am PT, ESPN+
This was the hardest game for me to pick this week, and I chose some upsets. And that was before I knew that Sam Leavitt was out and Jeff Sims would be in as Arizona State’s signal caller.
This only emboldens me further. I feel the Sun Devils probably would’ve gotten cocky and lost this week had Leavitt been out there, and I know I just contradicted myself.
Sims is an extremely experienced backup, and this could be his only shot because the Sun Devils have a bye next week.
Cincinnati needs to rely heavily on their 92nd-ranked rush defense against ASU. They’ll also need quarterback Brendan Sorsby to perform well.
Sorsby has thrown for 1,722 yards, 13 touchdowns with three interceptions, and leads an offense that scores 31 points per game.
But Sims’ speed, combined with Skattebo’s “skatt-ability,” could prove too much for the Bearcats to overcome.
Sparky lights up in Ohio.
Arizona State 27, Cincinnati 24
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UCLA at Rutgers
Saturday, Oct 19
9:00 am PT, FS1
Many pundits think this contest should prove to be an easy comeback game for Rutgers, which was decimated by Wisconsin at home last week, 42-7.
The key for RU in this outing is the play of Athan Kaliakmanis.
Rutgers got off to a 4-0 start, but a blunder of a play by Washington inflated that record. The Scarlet Knights also beat Virginia Tech, which should be respected.
RU features a solid defense and a phenomenal running back in Kyle Monangai, but Kaliakmanis will need to do more to complement this group.
UCLA suffered a heartbreaking loss against Minnesota but looks to carry the something they found against the Golden Gophers. The Bruins have been absolutely terrible, and the statistics back it up.
UCLA is led by Ethan Garbers at quarterback. He has thrown for over 1,100 yards and many interceptions.
But Saturday might be different. Garbers finds his groove, Bruins in Piscataway.
UCLA 28, Rutgers 17
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NC State at Cal
Saturday, Oct 19
12:30 pm PT, ACC Network
This game for California is the most important game they’ve had in a while.
A loss here, and they’re back to their .500 ways under Justin Wilcox. A win, and suddenly, they’re 4-3 with a schedule that lines up nicely for a nice run down the stretch.
The key for Cal is simply to win this game. With a loss here, the Bears will lose all their momentum from their early-season run and possibly their head coach.
NC State needs to get an early lead on Cal. The Bears are probably the better team, and if they remember that, State could be in trouble.
The Wolfpack’s offense is all right but probably not good enough to make a comeback, as was seen against Syracuse.
NC State is led by quarterback CJ Bailey, who’s thrown for 1,070 yards, six touchdowns, and four interceptions. But Bailey ain’t him, and Fernando Mendoza kinda is.
Cal keeps truckin’.
Cal 27, NC State 17
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Hawai’i at WSU
Saturday, Oct 19
12:30 pm PT, The CW
The last time Washington State played Hawaii was when I was a freshman in college. My dormmates and I drove across the state to Seattle, excited for the contest.
There used to be an annual thing called the “Seattle Game.” We drank beers in a sketchy parking lot and then entered Qwest Field during the second quarter, where the Cougars lost 35-0.
I’m happy times have changed.
In this contest, things should prove different. WSU survived the thick patches of their schedule with a 5-1 record, and they’re not going to overlook Hawaii, given the San Jose State scare.
I’d expect the Cougs defense to continue to shine and John Mateer to find his way back.
Hawaii, my second favorite team, needs to rely on a lot of “Schager Bombs.” Brayden Schager is the Rainbow Warriors’ quarterback and pretty much their only hope.
The Cougs won’t Coug it; WSU in a landslide.
WSU 35, Hawai’i 14
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Colorado at Arizona
Saturday, Oct 19
1:00 pm PT, FOX
According to the grapevine, Travis Hunter will play this week against Arizona. Hunter’s status was really important due to the style of this matchup.
The Wildcats feature a dynamic duo in Noah Fifita and Tetairoa McMillan, and Hunter should prove crucial in trying to tame McMillan. Get it, Wildcats?
Now that Hunter is back in this contest, it’ll likely come down to which quarterback-receiver combo steps up.
Both duads will probably ball out, but Arizona has struggled to protect the ball, ranking 110th in turnover differential. Another note to consider is that the Wildcats don’t have a solid pass rush, which is everything when facing Colorado.
The Buffaloes are potent when Shedeur Sanders has time. This matchup could prove the pivotal swing that UA needs to get their season back on the right leg.
They’ll keep hobbling around, though.
The Buffaloes are potent when Sanders has time.
Colorado 45, Arizona 31
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USC at Maryland
Saturday, Oct 19
1:00 pm PT, FS1
USC shouldn’t be 3-3, which might be a problem for Maryland. The Trojans lost a soulbreaker to Penn State last week in a game they should’ve won.
USC needs to look for a kill shot from the get-go. They are the far superior team and don’t want to give Maryland any silly ideas.
This contest should also be an opportunity for Miller Moss to bounce back.
Maryland needs to find a way to get explosive, West Coast s*it. They should try getting the ball to Tai Felton early and let him do his thing. Felton will likely be an NFL first-rounder in 2025.
Even though the Terrapins have the same record as SC, they’re the worst team. They lost 37-10 at home against Northwestern last week.
That’s certainly not explosive or West Coast sh*t. The Trojans win big.
USC 42, Maryland 20
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UNLV at Oregon State
Saturday, Oct 19
7:00 pm PT, The CW
This is an interesting contest. UNLV enters this matchup as arguably one of the most underrated teams in the nation because of their loss against Syracuse.
Oregon State enters this matchup off a bad loss on the road against Nevada. The key for the Beavers is quarterback Gevani McCoy and whether he can bounce back from a four-interception performance.
The Rebels defense is ranked near the bottom of the nation in passing yards allowed per game, so opportunities should be there, but the Rebels do have a few playmakers in their secondary. Most notably, Jalen Catalon.
Another factor to consider is whether the Beavs can run against UNLV’s linebacking core led by Jackson Woodard; Woodard tackles everything.
Oregon State might be able to do all the runny things they like on offense, but Vegas has the stars.
The Rebels go rolling along.
UNLV 38, Oregon State 28
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TCU at Utah
Saturday, Oct 19
7:30 pm PT, ESPN
I just want to start this preview by saying goodbye to Cam Rising. He is a College Football legend whose career could be ending due to injury.
However, this does create an opportunity for Isaac Wilson to gain long-term experience as the Utes starter.
Wilson has been fire at moments, but he still makes freshman mistakes. He has thrown for 830 yards, six touchdowns, and seven interceptions.
Utah may consider letting Micah Bernard carry the ball frequently against TCU’s 107th-ranked run defense.
For the Horned Frogs, it’s all about their passing game. TCU’s quarterback Josh Hoover has thrown for 2,007 yards, sixteen touchdowns, and six interceptions this year.
But they can be one-dimensional, and this could prove problematic against Utah’s 23rd-ranked pass defense.
I said Kyle Whittingham won’t lose two in a row last week. I was wrong. But Whittingham won’t lose three.
Utes up in here, up in here.
Utah 42, TCU 21
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