Throughout the college football season, I’ll be giving you my just-for-fun picks, but I’m competitive, so I do some research.
I’m off to a 20-3 start in my fearless picks this year. Last season I got 70 percent right.
If not for Oklahoma State shocking Oregon last Saturday, I would’ve had my first perfect week ever.
This week I’m making picks for the following ten games:
– Arizona State @ Kansas
– USC @ Rutgers
– Utah State @ Utah
– Wagner @ Cal
– Stanford @ Duke
– BYU @ Colorado State
– Colorado @ Northwestern
– James Madison @ San Diego State
– Fresno State @ San Jose State
– Purdue @ UCLA
You will also want to read Stephen Vilardo’s Big Ten Previews, Dane Miller’s Big 12 Column, and my Pac-12 Previews.
Sit back and relax.
Let’s get on to the picks!
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Arizona State vs Kansas
Saturday, September 19
9:00 AM PT, FS1
Wembley Stadium, London, England
This is an important early-season matchup for both teams in the Big 12. Both are coming off losses to top-25 opponents and will be looking to bounce back in the land of beans and mash.
Arizona State will likely rely on their passing offense. Cutter Boley is off to a phenomenal start, having thrown for eight touchdowns, 641 yards, and two interceptions early in the season.
Reed Harris is scorching at wideout, with 15 catches, 326 receiving yards, and four touchdowns. Omarion Miller is another name to know, but he’s gotten off to a slower start.
While the Sun Devils have proven more efficient through the air, Kyson Brown is averaging nearly eight yards per carry at halfback.
ASU outperformed Texas A&M in multiple offense categories, but handicapped themselves with turnovers. If they play clean ball against Kansas, they should hold the edge.
Jalen Todd, Austin Alexander, and the rest of the Jayhawk secondary are likely to be outmatched by the Sun Devil receiving core.
KU quarterback Isaiah Marshall also struggles early in games.
Sparky burns the tea and crumpets.
Arizona State 31, Kansas 27
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No. 12 USC at Rutgers
Saturday, September 19
12:30 PM PT, CBS
This is a matchup where the Trojans need their defense to play better.
The game will be nationally broadcast on CBS, and for USC to make a case for the College Football Playoff, they gotta beat down Rutgers.
The Scarlet Knights are in a bad spot right now. They opened their season with two losses to Boston College and UMass. They could potentially make it interesting against SC, but they gotta stop hurting themselves.
Their two signal-callers have combined for seven interceptions in their opening two contests. RU must overcome this.
If they can protect the ball, they have two legit threats on offense in halfback Antwan Raymond and wideout KJ Duff. Duff is off to a sweltering start with 17 catches, 333 yards, and five touchdowns.
USC should watch him closely, now and in the future. This is a perfect defensive test for the Trojans. Enough talent to “f” around and find out, but also enough room where a mistake shouldn’t prove devastating.
Offensively, SC should be able to do what they want, and Jayden Maiava will continue to boost his Heisman resume. Trent Mosley will be out for this matchup, though.
Trojans Piscataway Piscataway.
USC 42, Rutgers 17
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Utah State at No. 17 Utah
Saturday, September 19
12:30 PM PT, FOX
This matchup could be pretty tough for Utah State, but the defense held serve against Washington last week, and the Huskies were looking to score.
The Aggies’ key is to find offensive cohesion early in the game. USU’s defense is better than people realize, but they’ll need to score at least 24 points to keep things interesting.
Utah State is still looking to find their way without Bryson Barnes, but Grady Brosterhous adds an intriguing element to the offense.
Brosterhous carried the ball 21 times against the Dawgs for 81 yards. He’s not a great quarterback yet; he threw three interceptions against UW, but the combination of Javen Jacobs and him gives defenses something to think about.
And if Morgan Scalley knows what you’re doing, you’re borked.
Javon Robinson also has two 100-yard receiving games in his last four dating back to 2025. Utah is more than a defense, though; Devon Dampier is a veteran at this point—and Wayshawn Parker’s improving each year in Salt Lake City.
Noah Bennee is also proving to be a revelation for the Utes.
Utah State will probably get run through, but Bronco Mendenhall is more experienced than Scalley.
Utah 38, Utah State 14
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Wagner at Cal
Saturday, September 19
12:30 PM PT, ACC Network
Cal got a win last week, but now it’s time to clean up the offense. As impressive as Kingston Lopa’s three-interception game was, it’s unlikely to happen again.
The Golden Bears’ jump this year will likely hinge on their offense.
With all the hype surrounding Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele, he has underwhelmed. Sagapolutele’s playing okay, but he was supposed to be the savior of Cal football.
Instead, the Bears only scored 14 points against a pedestrian Syracuse defense. If it wasn’t for Lopa’s National Player of the Week performance, the Bears could be 0-2.
Berkeley is bringing in two transfer tackles, which is worth noting. But they brought in enough talent that their offense should look better.
The Golden Bears currently rank 106th in the nation in points scored per game. This is unacceptable for a team with Adam Mohammed, Ian Strong, Chase Hendricks, and Dorian Thomas.
Their defense ranks worse in points per game at 120th nationally, but this is inflated by Sagapolutele’s fourth-quarter interceptions against UCLA.
The Tosh Lupoi vision may take time, but anything less than a blowout here is embarrassing.
Cal 45, Wagner 10
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Stanford at Duke
Saturday, September 19
1:00 PM PT, CW
This feels like a winnable contest for Stanford. It’s two weeks past the Miami drubbing, so the Tree should be ready for the long road trip. They also match up well against Duke.
The Blue Devils rely on running back Nate Sheppard to carry the bulk of the offense. The combination of Matt Rose, Zach Rowell, and Charlie Eckhardt will likely be able to limit Sheppard’s production.
As long as the Cardinal defensive line plays decently, they should be able to hold their own against Duke. Blue Devil quarterback Walker Eget transferred from San Jose State.
On offense, Stanford still needs to find a way to support Micah Ford, whose yards per carry are down in 2026 to just 3.5.
Tight end Benji Blackburn is also developing into a good receiver. Blackburn leads the team with 12 catches and 101 receiving yards.
But this is problematic because Davis Warren isn’t forming connections with his wideouts. JonAnthony Hall shined against Hawaii, but the Hurricanes took him to D-BU.
Duke’s defense is pretty solid, but it’s also the type of squad Stanford needs to be competing against to gain relevancy in the ACC.
Duke 28, Stanford 24
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No. 11 BYU at Colorado State
Saturday, September 19
4:30 PM PT, CBS
Look at the top of the Pac-12 standings; it feels like Boise State should be there, but Colorado State is.
The Rams’ 2-0 start is a bit unexpected, but if they beat BYU, they’re the bee’s knees.
The CBS game will also give them a chance to shine on the national stage.
CSU’s key in this matchup is finding ways to counter the Cougars’ physicality. The Cougs hold the edge on defense, pretty much everywhere.
But the line has to give Hauss Hejny a chance at the minimum. If Hejny has enough time to make some plays, they could capitalize against BYU’s hurt defense.
The Cougars are without Siale Esera, Sione Moa, and Raider Damuni for this contest.
Crossing the border, if Colorado State can hold their milk against BYU’s wideouts, they could hang around. Legend Glasker’s off to a quick start for the Cougars, but he’s unproven in big moments like this.
Bear Bachmeier also needs to be careful over the middle. Oumar Diomande is ballin’ in the early season; Diomande has 16 tackles, two interceptions, and one fumble recovery in their opening two matchups.
The Cougs are the better team here, but their holes could be exposed given the state of affairs.
BYU 35, Colorado State 17
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Colorado at Northwestern
Saturday, September 19
4:30 PM PT, FOX
Deion Sanders did not stay in Colorado to lose to Northwestern. It feels like Sanders’ squad is catching a bit of disrespect by getting -3.5 in Evanston.
Colorado’s win against Georgia Tech should be acknowledged, even if the Yellow Jackets are off to a slow start. The key for the Buffaloes in this contest is to keep their rushing attack going.
Julian Lewis is playing well early in the season, but it’s their running game that will take them to new heights.
Micah Welch leads the team with 26 carries, 164 yards, and two touchdowns. Damian Henderson II has also chipped in 85. If this duo performs consistently, it creates one-on-one matchups for the talented CU receivers.
It will also help them on the other side of the ball, because the Wildcats are trying to do something similar. They enter this contest with the nation’s 32nd-best rushing attack.
It’s only been one game, but it indicates what they’re trying to do. If Colorado can stymie NU up front, it’ll force Aidan Chiles to beat them.
Chiles didn’t have turnovers in the opener, but his .58 percent completion rate is troubling. They’ll also need to contain Griffin Wilde at wideout.
The Buffaloes stomp the Wildcats.
Colorado 31, Northwestern 24
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James Madison at San Diego State
Saturday, September 19
7:00 PM PT, The CW
This is a game the Pac-12 must win. The conference pretty much lost all of its non-conference matchups against Power Four opponents. If the perceived second-best team in the Pac loses to James Madison, it’s a troubling look.
Especially considering the Dukes are traveling across the country, and their body clock will be at 10 pm.
This game should also indicate where the Aztecs really stand. If they blow out the Dukes, they could at least be considered the second-best team in the Pac-12.
The key to this matchup and SDSU’s season in the future is the play of Jayden Denegal.
Denegal came in with a lot of hype, but hasn’t yet proven himself at the position. He benefited from an elite defense last year, but SDSU lost 12 out of their top 14 tacklers, including their two best players.
That’s a nice way of saying that going 6-for-17 with 45 yards, a touchdown, and one interception won’t get it done.
Lucky Sutton played well against UCLA, but that’s about it. SDSU’s top receiver only finished with 19 yards.
JMU is still in transition since Bob Chesney left. The Aztecs found out about Chesney last week.
But if San Diego can’t win this, the Sean Lewis rebuild is still just that.
San Diego State 21, James Madison 14
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Fresno State at San Jose State
Saturday, September 19
8:00 PM PT, FS1
The Bulldogs are where they’re supposed to be. Even though the loss to USC was repulsive, it’s still one loss.
This matchup will show us what level they’re really on.
If the Pac-12 wants to be considered the top Group of Six conference, these are the matchups the Bulldogs gotta start winning. Fresno rolled against Sacramento State, and they’ll need to keep their offense clicking in this rivalry matchup.
Jayden Mandal played well against the Hornets, and he must do the same against a San Jose State team that lacks playmakers on defense.
Mandal threw for 316 yards, two touchdowns, and no interceptions against Sac State. He also completed 88 percent of his passes.
With Bryson Donelson and Rayshon Luke proving the focal point of most defensive game plans, Mandal could capitalize using play action. Ezekiel Avit and Josiah Freeman each had over 100 receiving yards last week.
Flipping the valley, the defense should hold the advantage over a Spartans offense that’s getting better quickly. Luke Weaver is ripping defenses, and Jabari Bates, Cooper Hoch, and Carson Clark form a nice cavalry around him.
This contest has a lot of idiosyncrasies, but only one result is acceptable.
Fresno State 35, SJSU 20
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Purdue Boilermakers at UCLA Bruins
Saturday, September 19
8:00 PM PT, BTN
The Bob Chesney era is off to a good start in L.A., and this is with Nico Iamaleava struggling to find himself at quarterback.
The key to UCLA’s hot start is their rushing attack led by Wayne Knight, who has rushed for 168 yards, six touchdowns, and is averaging eight yards per carry.
He’s complemented by Anthony Woods, who has 148 yards and is averaging 9.3 yards per carry. Iamaleava completes this three-headed monster, but his statistics lag behind the others.
If he could complete short and intermediate passes, it would help make the Bruins offense more consistent. He has completed 50 percent of his intermediate throws, and only 54 percent of his short passes.
This may not be enough this week, but it allows defenses to sit back and wait for an inevitable mistake.
Purdue is coming off a heartbreaking double-overtime loss to Wake Forest, but they’re dangerous this year. The Boilermakers’ offense ranks 28th nationally in yards per game—a 140-yard leap from 2025.
Ryan Browne is doing his thing at quarterback, throwing for 646 yards, four touchdowns, and no interceptions. Halfback Fame Ijeboi is also a problem.
Purdue’s improved, but Nico’s hitting the mids.
UCLA 38, Purdue 28
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