This column is presented by SuperWest Sports, a media partner of Oregon Sports News.
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 9-1, missing only on USC’s win over LSU. But, hey, it was a close game that came down to the final plays. Coulda gone either way.
Of course, I fully expect to be basking in the glory of my success again this week—and you should, too.
As always, my selections come with incredibly accurate game scores and just enough commentary to keep me from eating too many jelly beans here in the South Shore District of Seattle.
The bag is almost empty, so let’s get on with the picks!
————
BYU at SMU
Friday, September 6th
4:00 PM
In this matchup, we get two teams that could really use a win.
BYU needs to recapture that post-Big 12 swag. The Cougars finished 5-7 (2-7) last year and are a howl away from their 10-win 2021 season.
SMU avoided the Week one loss to Nevada and has jumped out the gate to a 2-0 start.
The key to this matchup should be whether the Cougars offense has enough explosives to hang with the Mustangs. SMU’s passing offense hasn’t found its rhythm yet, but the team averages 44 points per outing.
It feels likely they’ll put up more than 30 against BYU.
The Cougs need to grit this out. Jake Retzlaff threw for over 300 yards against Southern Illinois, but they don’t want to get into that style of matchup against the Stangs.
They should consider getting LJ Martin a few extra touches to bore up the game.
Football is fun; SMU wins a close one.
Predicted Final Score: SMU 31, BYU 24
————
Baylor at No. 11 Utah
Saturday, September 7th
12:30 PM
When you think of star players in the Big 12, it’s easy to think of Ollie Gordon, Shedeur Sanders, Travis Hunter, and maybe even Jalon Daniels.
But the best duo in the Big 12 could be Cam Rising and Brant Kuithe. Rising’s accolades speak for themselves, but it feels like people forgot that Kuithe is a freaking beast.
He opened his season with four catches, three touchdowns, and 69 yards.
Baylor will likely struggle this year. It’s not like the Bears will be awful, but it takes a lot to beat the mighty MUSS.
BU’s quarterback Dequan Finn only threw for 192 yards and two interceptions in the opener—not a good sign heading into a historically good Utah defense.
For all of these reasons, but mainly Rising’s Goldilocks hair, I’m picking the Utes.
Utes two-step on Baylor.
Predicted Final Score: Utah 41, Baylor 28
————
Cal at Auburn
Saturday, September 7th
12:30 PM
The first thing to know about this game is that the third and fourth quarters will likely be longer than ten minutes. Auburn beat Alabama A&M by 49 last week, so they decided to shorten the game.
California didn’t look good last week. They were outgained by UC Davis, which is damn embarrassing. The Golden Bears forced three turnovers, which is probably why they’re not getting hated more.
The key to this contest should be whether or not Cal’s offense can move the ball consistently. The Tigers’ defense isn’t elite, but it’s still a solid enough unit against a confusing Cal offense.
Jaydn Ott also might not be quite 100 percent. He’ll need to shine if the Bears are going to pull off the upset.
If California didn’t nearly beat Auburn last year, they might have the element of surprise on their side.
But they don’t, and the Tigers will win.
Predicted Final Score: Auburn 30, Cal 20
————
San Jose State at Air Force
Saturday, September 7th
4:00 PM
This is the most challenging pick I had to make this week.
Something in me wants to believe in San Jose State’s offense, even without Chevan Cordeiro. But it’s a bit troubling that they needed a second-half comeback to knock off Sacramento State.
The X factor in this contest is whether Spartans head coach Ken Niumatalolo has an inside read at stopping the triple option due to his familiarity with the system. He is the former head coach at Navy.
The Air Force should dominate on the ground. The Spartans defense ranked 104th in the nation at stopping the run last year, which should prove troubling against a Falcons offense that is always elite running the thang.
I want to pick San Jose State; I’ve always liked the city of San Jose. But I can’t do it with Cordeiro.
Falcons fly high, no lie.
Predicted Final Score: Air Force 24, San Jose State 21
————
Colorado at Nebraska
Saturday, September 7th
4:30 PM
It’s always fun when we get to renew a Big 12 rivalry.
In this matchup, we have a Colorado team coming off a nice win in week one versus Nebraska, which took care of business in a blowout against UTEP.
The key to this contest will be star players versus a better team. The Buffaloes have THE two guys on the field in Shedeur Sanders and Travis Hunter, but the Cornhuskers’ front seven could cause CU some serious problems.
The other main storyline to watch in this contest will be the battle between the two signal callers. Sanders is the dude that everyone’s talking about, but freshman quarterback Dylan Raiola could be next.
If the Huskers didn’t finish 5-7 overall and end 2023 on a four-game slide, they’d probably have the confidence to win this game.
The Buffs don’t lack confidence; they find a way.
Predicted Final Score: Colorado 35, Nebraska 28
————
Texas Tech at Washington State
Saturday, September 7th
7:00 PM
Texas Tech has to be better than their opening game indicated, right?
The Red Raiders barely beat FCS Abilene Christian; it took overtime to do so. In that contest, ACU threw for more than 500 yards against Tech and scored more than 50 points—that’s sluffin.
But even more troubling for the Raiders is that star running back Tahj Brooks is listed as questionable. Washington State fans may consider cracking an Ol’ Crimson prematurely if he’s out.
The Cougars will need to tighten their defense, but the playmaker combination of Kyle Williams, Wayshawn Parker, and Kris Hutson feels too much for Tech to deal with.
WSU quarterback John Mateer also had a hot start in the opener, throwing for 352 yards and six combined touchdowns.
In the Mike Leach battle, I’m going with the latter.
Cougs win by a touchdown.
Predicted Final Score: (Washington State 38, Texas Tech 31
————
Boise State at No. 7 Oregon
Saturday, September 7th
7:00 PM
Oregon’s concern should be whether they can handle Idaho’s best team. Idaho gave them a hell of a run last week.
For the Ducks, all eyes will be on Ashton Jeanty but they should be able to stop him if they maintain their gaps. UO’s front seven is probably a more complete unit than Boise State’s offensive line.
For the Broncos, the key to winning this game is Maddux Madsen.
Jeanty may have received all the hype after game one, but the Ducks should have a scheme ready for him. His 267 yards and six touchdowns speaks volumes to who he is.
Oregon is heavily favored in this contest, but the Ducks will need their wideouts to step up if they want to win in blowout fashion. It seems unlikely that the Ducks will have close back-to-back battles with teams from the Potato State.
UO wins comfortably.
Predicted Final Score: Oregon 42, Boise State 27
————
Oregon State at San Diego State
Saturday, September 7th
7:30 PM
I wonder if Oregon State misses DJ Uiagalelei? Just a thought.
In this matchup, we have two teams trying to find themselves. The Beavers have a new head coach in Trent Bray, and this will be his first real test.
OSU looked solid in the opener, knocking off Idaho State and running all over their souls, and the Beavers tallied 362 yards on the ground.
Against San Diego State, they’ll likely need signal-caller Gevani McCoy to do a bit more passing.
The Aztecs struggled in week one, trailing Texas A&M commerce by three points at half. SDSU has a new head coach in Sean Lewis, who prefers an uptempo “Bling Blaww, Burr” offense.
Marquez Cooper led the way for the Aztecs in the opener, rushing for 223 yards and two touchdowns.
In the battle of the two new coaches, I usually like the team that has more depth.
Beavers snap the dragon.
Predicted Final Score: Oregon State 30, San Diego State 27
————
Mississippi State at ASU
Saturday, September 7th
7:30 PM
Many people feel that the Sun Devils are primed to make a massive turnaround this season after their Week 1 destruction of Wyoming.
But many people forget that most teams play well after receiving a pick-six on the first pass of the game. Arizona State is obviously improved, but one win is just one win. Good teams show consistency.
The key in this matchup will be ASU’s wideouts versus Mississippi State’s secondary. Arizona State lost their two best playmakers in the offseason: receiver Elijah Badger and tight end Jalin Conyers.
On the other hand, the Bulldog corners are unproven. Miss State also has questions about its defensive line.
Both squads are projected to finish toward the bottom of their respective conferences, and a win here would be pretty sweet.
Sparky doesn’t do sweet, Hail State.
Predicted Final Score: Mississippi State 35, Arizona State 21
————
Utah State at No. 13 USC
Saturday, September 7th
8:00 PM
This is probably gonna be a difficult night for Utah State.
The Aggies played well in the opener but lost star running back Robert Briggs Jr. to a broken leg for the remainder of the year.
USU quarterback Spencer Petras also suffered a sprained ankle in week one and might be out for this contest. This could lead to a captivating story.
Utah State’s backup quarterback is former Ute Bryson Barnes. The same Barnes who beat USC last season as Utah’s signal caller. Obviously, he has a worse roster supporting him, but he’s done it once.
As for the Trojans, don’t drink the fruit punch. SC likely would’ve won this game either way, but with the injury to Briggs, the only way they’ll lose this contest is the night before.
Expect Miller Moss to shine and for the Trojans to win this one big in L.A.
Predicted Final Score: USC 45, Utah State 14
