2018 College Football Week 14: Picks

Here are my picks for championship week (week fourteen) of the 2018 College Football season.

Friday, November 30th
Northern Illinois (7-5; 6-2) vs Buffalo (10-2; 7-1)- 7:00, ESPN2: The Vegas line of the Bulls as a three and a half point favorite suggests that this will be a good game. I look at it and see that the Bulls are clearly the better team. Someone knows something apparently. I think the Bulls win a close one in Detroit to take home the MAC championship.
Pick: Buffalo

(17) Utah (9-3; 6-3) vs (11) Washington (9-3; 7-2)- 8:00, FOX: These two teams met earlier in the season and the Huskies came away victorious in Salt Lake City. This game is being played in Santa Clara and with all the injuries the Utes have suffered of late, the Huskies take advantage and get a bid in the Rose Bowl.
Pick: Washington

Saturday, December 1st
(14) Texas (9-3; 7-2) vs (5) Oklahoma (11-1; 7-1)- 12:00, ABC: These Longhorns are the only team to defeat the Sooners this season courtesy of a game winning field goal as time expired. Expect another high scoring game in Jerry World except for the Sooners to get revenge and perhaps clinch a spot in the College Football Playoff.
Pick: Oklahoma

Drake (7-3; 6-2) at (23) Iowa State (7-4; 6-3)- 12:00
Pick: Iowa State

Louisiana (7-5; 5-3) at Appalachian State (9-2; 7-1)- 12:00, ESPN: With the Mounatineers hosting the game and are the flat out better team, I'd be somewhat surprised if this wasn't a double digit win for the Mountainners.
Pick: Appalachian State

East Carolina (3-8; 1-7) at NC State (8-3; 5-3)- 12:00, ACCN
Pick: NC State

Akron (4-7; 2-6) at South Carolina (6-5; 4-4)- 12:00, SECN
Pick: South Carolina

Marshall (8-3; 6-2) at Virginia Tech (5-6; 4-4)- 12:00, ACCN
Pick: Virginia Tech

UAB (9-3; 7-1) at Middle Tennessee (8-4; 7-1)- 1:30, CBSSN: These two teams just played each other last weekend and the Blue Raiders came away victorious. The Raiders are a short favorite on their home turf and I think they knock off the Blazers a second straight week to win Conference-USA.
Pick: Middle Tennessee

Norfolk State (4-6; 2-5) at Liberty (5-6)- 2:00, ESPN3
Pick: Liberty

Stanford (7-4; 5-3) at California (7-4; 4-4)- 3:00, Pac-12N: This is a makeup game from a few weeks back due to the wildfires. The Golden Bears are home and poised to end their losing streak to the Cardinal.
Pick: California

Memphis (8-4; 5-3) at (8) UCF (12-0; 8-0)- 3:30, ABC: Too bad McKenzie Milton broke his leg and is going to miss the remainder of the season. The Tigers take advantage and spoil a second straight undefeated season for the Knights.
Pick: Memphis

(1) Alabama (12-0; 8-0) vs (4) Georgia (12-0; 8-0)- 4:00, CBS: This is perhaps the game of the year in the College Football season. Winner is in the playoff and quite frankly in the right circumstances and things break right the loser could be in too. The Bulldogs will be motivated and seeking revenge after losing the heartbreaker in the National Title game a year ago to this same Crimson Tide team, but Tua Tagovailoa is just too much for the Bulldogs to handle as the Tide will roll into the College Football Playoff for the fifth year in a row.
Pick: Alabama

(25) Fresno State (10-2; 7-1) at (22) Boise State (10-2; 7-1)- 7:45, ESPN: These two teams hooked up a few weeks ago and the Broncos came from behind to defeat the Bulldogs. Two very good teams here and the winner of this game will go to a New Years Six bowl (assuming UCF loses to Memphis). The Broncos are pretty much unbeatable on the Smurf Turf and I think they find themselves in a New Years Six bowl.
Pick: Boise State

(2) Clemson (12-0; 8-0) vs Pittsburgh (7-5; 6-2)- 8:00, ABC: This is such a big mismatch here in Charlotte it's not even funny. If the Tigers lose this game somehow, they might not even make the playoff because this would be such a bad loss. That said, the Tigers have a bit of revenge on their mind because the Panthers defeated them in Death Valley a few years back and they'll win this game big.
Pick: Clemson

(21) Northwestern (8-4; 8-1) vs (6) Ohio State (11-1; 8-1)- 8:00, FOX: This is a fascinating game in Indianapolis. The Buckeyes have only played one complete game all season which was last weekend against Michigan. The Wildcats have been red hot and always have thrived as underdogs under Pat Fitzgerald. I expect this to be a close and high scoring affair and for the Buckeyes to get a few key stops late to make it's case for the College Football Playoff.
Pick: Ohio State