Mike Kern's College Football Picks: He's teasing the Big Ten, Big12, SEC, Sun Belt and MAC championship games
OK, it’s the final weekend of the college football season. Championship weekend, with a whole bunch on the line all across the country, some more important than others. Not a lot to choose from, but we’ll try to come up with something to keep us tuned in.
Two-team teaser
Central Michigan (-.5) over Miami of Ohio in the MAC final with Appalachian State (-.5) over Louisiana-Lafayette in the Sun Belt title game.
I like both favorites, so you could just play them each laying the points. But I’d rather get them down to where they just have to win. Maybe that’s not the way to do it, but that’s the way I’m rolling here. My MAC source tells me he likes Central Michigan even laying the touch. Neither of these teams have been in this spot in almost a decade, and Miami has won the last two meetings (in 2016 and ’17), so some kind of payback might be in play. CMU has been playing really well down the stretch, and I’m hoping it can continue. In the other game, App State is one goofy 3-point home loss to Georgia State from being in the real conversation for a place in a New Year’s Day bowl. And the Mountaineers won at L-L in early October, 17-7. Now they’re at home. I don’t think they’re getting upset in Boone, N.C.
Three-team teaser
Baylor (+18) over Oklahoma in the Big 12 final, with Ohio State (-6.5) over Wisconsin in the Big Ten final and Georgia (+16) over LSU in the SEC final.
Usually I go the other way in teasers, moving faves down, so this might just be asking for trouble. But … Baylor was beating Okie by 28 in the first meeting at home several weeks ago before losing by three. And the Bears have played well since. Oklahoma has been mostly getting by, which is all that matters unless you’re betting them. So I’ll take a chance that the Matt Rhules can at least keep it close. They might actually have a chance to take it outright, which would clinch him the Coach of the Year award. Ohio State has already beaten Wisky by 31 in late October, and they’ve been mostly winning big all season, so why shouldn’t the Buckeyes be able to win this one by a TD. The 15.5 I’m not as sure about. As for Georgia, the smart play might be to just take LSU to not lose by more than two. But Georgia has a defense, and maybe enough offense to make this a game. I guess that’s why they call it gambling. And the Bulldogs should have won this game last year against Alabama, for whatever that might mean.
Be back with the pro picks. So be on the lookout.
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