The ESPN college football schedule has Miami-Ohio vs. Florida, Texas vs. Rice, Oregon State vs. TCU, while ABC has LSU vs. North Carolina, and Versus TV with Wisconsin vs. UNLV.
Brandon Lang jumped ship, but handicapper Matt Rivers, who was the winningest handicapper ever—nobody came close—on a large network of sites has your comp winner for Saturday is on South Carolina State.
Of course the Bulldogs are well outclassed here by the far superior Yellow Jackets but it’s starting to become a trend that Paul Johnson’s team has trouble covering large numbers. In each of the last two openers Tech failed to cover against a bottom feeder in Jacksonville State. They won big in the non-covers as it’s tough for this option rushing attack to win in absolute total blowout fashion. They will pile up the yards but the clock will also run for a great deal of it and unless Joshua Nesbitt and or Anthony Allen break big play after big play we are looking at long time consuming Yellow Jacket drives.
Tech is a top 25 caliber team but one can’t belittle how much they lost in the off-season. Demaryius Thomas and Derrick Morgan were first round picks and Jonathan Dwyer and Morgan Burnett will be playing in the NFL as well after phenomenal and dominant college careers. Johnson’s offense can plug in guys and things can still work smoothly but it’s still a ton of talent to exit in one season and especially when they are pretty much your entire bunch of playmakers on both sides of the ball.
It won’t matter in terms of the win today as Tech will be too good today at Bobby Dodd thanks to too many faster and stronger players. Nesbitt is going to be great and do his Heisman type thing but it’s also a ton to lay when there are as many question marks as there are.
State is severely outclassed overall as a team and a program but they have won 10 games in each of the last two seasons and did win the MEAC last season. They also scored at least 30 points six times a season ago and have an experienced quarterback in Malcolm Long who could make a play or two. The bottom line though here is that I’m banking against the Tech rushing attack from being able to explode and in the end to get in the neighborhood of about 30 plus points today is just too many.
The pick: South Carolina State
For more information: Matt Rivers says: Pretty much the biggest and most powerful play I own is here today. My 500,000* plays are as respected as anything has ever been in this industry and you’ll see why with this lock from Nashville between Northwestern and Vanderbilt. Bonus 300,000* as well involving Oregon State and TCU along with a 100,000* on the diamond between Colorado and San Diego.
I beg you not to sleep on me today, just don’t! Click now to purchase