Week 11 of the college football season features four games between ranked teams.
The match against the Big Ten East top 10 was the highlight of the Week 12 college football schedule.
7 Michigan State goes to 5 Ohio State in a game of great playoff significance. The Buckeyes haven’t lost a Big Ten game since 2015, and that was against Team Sparta. CJ Stroud and Kenneth Walker III were also able to make claims about Heisman in that game.
There are two other games with ranked teams. No. 21 Arkansas faces No. 2 Alabama in the game against SEC West, and No. 4 Oregon is the underdog at No. 24 Utah in the early hour game on ABC.
SEX: Picture of the playoff match after Week 11 | The Heisman tribe is still crowded
Each week, Sporting News selects each AP Top 25 match by virality. Here is our leaderboard for this season:
- Straight: 156-54 (April 16 in Week 11)
- Against the spread: 101-109 (8-12 in Week 11)
- Opposite: 8-14 (1-1 in Week 11)
With that in mind, check out this week’s picks:
Pick week 12 against disparity
Friday, November 19
- Memphis at 17th Houston (-9.5) (9pm, ESPN2)
Memphis has lost the last 3/4 matches and lost 0-4 ATS this season. The Tigers have won 5 consecutive matches in this series, a record for the Cougars. Houston continues to look forward to the AAC championship match.
Pick: Houston won by 35-24 and COVERS by margin.
- Number 23 San Diego State (-10.5) at UNLV (11:30 p.m., CBSSN)
The Aztecs were the double-digit favorite, but this line fell two points from the open line. It was a nod to the Rebels’ two-game winning streak. UNLV will struggle to run the ball in front of a San Diego State-allowed defense of only 83.1 yards per game. We will take the value in the opening line.
Pick: San Diego State won 30-16 and COVERS odds.
Saturday, November 20
- No. 7 Michigan State at No. 5 Ohio State (-18.5) (12 p.m., ABC)
Sparta and Buckeyes have the two worst defensive passes in the Big Ten. In the case of the Buckeyes, some of them are the product of teams playing catch-up. Michigan State won the Ohio Stadium in 2015, but the last two trips to Ohio State have both failed. This will lie somewhere, and the two-point gap in the opening line reflects that.
Pick: Ohio State wins 38-24 and DOES NOT CONTAIN the difference.
- Iowa State at 12 Oklahoma (-4.5) (12 p.m., FOX)
Iowa State coach Matt Campbell has turned this into a competitive series. The Cyclones are 2-4 ahead of the Sooners as of 2016, and all of those encounters have been decided by 10 points or less. Oklahoma is back from losing to Baylor, but it won’t be easy.
Pick: Oklahoma won 34-27 and COVERS the difference.
THAN: OU will not be forgiven by CFP committee this time
- 13 Wake Forest at Clemson (-3.5) (12 p.m., ESPN)
Clemson won 32 consecutive home games, a record the Demon Deacons will look to break to win the ACC championship. This is also Clemson’s almighty game, but the Demon Deacons will challenge that achievement with their powerful offensive abilities. It plays right on the line, but the home record is there for a reason.
Pick: Clemson wins 30-27 but CANNOT cover the spread.
- Illinois at 18 Iowa (-11.5) (2pm, FS1)
The Hawkeyes are still in the Big Ten West, but they have been beaten by ATS 1-3 as a double-digit favorite this season. Illinois is still an unpredictable game under Bret Bielema, but they have played three games in a row one score. Iowa has won the last seven meetings in the series.
Pick: Iowa wins by 26-16 but CANNOT cover the spread.
- Georgia Tech at 6 Notre Dame (-15.5) (2:30 p.m., NBC)
Georgia Tech is on a 4-game losing streak, but they are 3-0 down ATS when the difference is 10 points or more. Notre Dame, however, has included five games in a row. We like the Irish at home.
Pick: Notre Dame won 34-14 and COVERS by a margin.
- Number 21 Arkansas at Number 2 Alabama (-21.5) (3:30 p.m., CBS)
The Crimson Tide is 6-4 ATS this season, but that includes a 3-3 ATS score ahead of SEC competition. The Razorbacks are leading 2-1 ATS as the underdog and are on a three-game winning streak. The Crimson Tide has racked up 13 consecutive wins in the series with an average of 29.5 points per game.
Pick: Alabama wins 44-24 and NEVER has a difference.
- SMU at 3 Cincinnati (-12.5) (3:30 p.m., ESPN)
Cincinnati have failed to make double-digit spreads over the past four weeks, and that raises doubts about their playoff prospects. SMU is the best AAC team they have faced so far, and the Mustangs have lost a point this season. Get ready for the old talk about Raccoons.
Pick: Cincinnati wins 38-28 but NEVER gets the spread.
- 8 Michigan (-14.5) in Maryland (3:30 p.m., BTN)
Michigan played great throughout the season with an 8-2 ATS record. Maryland is struggling to qualify, and Terps is 13th in the Big Ten in defensive scoring (31.4). Werewolves won’t be caught looking ahead to Ohio State.
Pick: Michigan won 35-14 and COVERS by difference.
- Virginia at 20 Pitt (-13.5) (3:30 p.m., ESPN2)
We reserve this line change should Brennan Armstrong return from a rib injury that kept him out of Notre Dame. Pitt won a landing in the ACC championship game, and Kenny Pickett continued the Heisman campaign.
Pick: Pitt won 41-24 and COVERS difference.
- UAB in 15th UTSA (-4.5) (3:30 p.m., ESPN+)
It was a big Conference-USA game, and the Roadrunners were trying to stay undefeated. UTSA is beating ATS 3-2 at home, but it can be said that this is the biggest home game of the season. The Blazers have won the last 4 meetings.
Pick: UTSA wins 33-27 and COVERS difference.
- Nebraska at 19 Wisconsin (-10.5) (3:30 p.m., ABC)
The Badgers are headed for the Big Ten West championship, and they’ve scored just 7.5 points per game in four straight wins. Husker has played tough ranked competition throughout the season, but the Badgers are playing for something more.
Pick: Wisconsin wins 31-20 and WIN the spread.
- No. 14 BYU (-20.5) at Georgia Southern (4 p.m., ESPN+)
BYU has one more week to prepare for the Georgia Southern pick, but the Eagles are at home. That will make cover a bit more difficult for the Cougars, but we feel like the behavior attacked early and forced Georgia Southern into the wrong. This is still too many spots to put on the road.
Pick: BYU won with a score of 35-17 but CANNOT cover the spread.
- Syracuse at 25 NC State (-11.5) (4 p.m., ACC Network)
Syracuse needed a win to maintain its poor standing, and Wolfpack was about to lose mentally. Orange is 8-2 ATS, even with a 41-3 loss last week to Louisville. We think this goes much more closely.
Pick: Bang NC wins 30-20 but DOESN’T CONTAIN the difference.
- 22 Louisiana at Liberty (-3.5) (4 p.m., ESPNU)
The line has changed a bit, and it’s an interesting match. Ragin’ Cajuns are 8-3 ATS is bot lane Billy Napier, but they’re 3-8 S/U in those games. Bye bye a week, Malik Willis led the Flames to a home win.
Pick: Liberty wins 34-28 and COVERS difference.
- 11 Baylor in Kansas State (-0.5) (5:30 p.m., FS1)
The Bears are on a big win over Oklahoma, but now they face the Wildcats on the road. The Wildcats have the longest winning streak in the Big 12 at four games. We believe the Bears will make it through.
Pick: Baylor wins 30-27 in a UPSET.
- Vanderbilt at No. 10 Ole Miss (-36.5) (7:30 p.m., SEC Network)
Vanderbilt has lost 62-0 in Georgia and 42-0 in Florida this season. Will the Rebels drop a third goose egg on Commodores? This is a game we usually stay away from with that spread. Ole Miss goes on a cruise, but Vanderbilt is covered by the back door.
Pick: Ole Miss wins 52-17 but CANNOT cover the spread.
- 4 Oregon at 24 Utah (-2.5) (7:30 p.m., ABC)
Oregon is still the Pac-12 leader, but they’re the underdog on the road against Utah. It’s a tough place to play, but Utes have given up more than 200 yards in three games this season, all of which have lost. We think Ducks can rely on that ground fight along the way.
Pick: Oregon won 31-24 in UPSET.
- Number 9 Oklahoma State (-10.5) at Texas Tech (8 p.m., FOX)
The Cowboys have only scored a total of 23 points on a three-game winning streak since the loss at Iowa State. These teams have split in the last four meetings, and the Red Raiders are bottomed out by ATS 3-4.
Pick: Oklahoma State won by 34-22 and COVERS by a margin.
