Bob Balfe:
College Football
NOON EST
Rotation # 213
SMU +8 over Penn State
Ohio State’s loss on the year’s final day allowed Penn State to backdoor into the BIG 10 Championship Game, where they came up short against Oregon. SMU was on the losing end of their ACC Title game, falling short against Clemson. Penn State head coach James Franklin has not been a big game coach but has done a great job with new coordinators this season. Drew Allar has impressed, but the offense might slow down without Anthony Donkoh on the offensive line. SMU is in the same boat as Indiana, as they played a weak schedule this year. We will find out today if they are a product of easy opponents. One thing I like about SMU is their raw speed. Kevin Jennings is a dual-threat quarterback who has the luxury of handing the ball off to Brashard Smith and has a host of targets to throw to. The Mustangs are a veteran defense and can stay in this game by being active in the trenches. Penn State is glad the game is at home but would love for the start time to be a little later in the day. It will be a cold and windy afternoon that might slow down both offenses. Look for the Mustangs to keep it close. Take SMU.
College Football
4:00 PM EST
Rotation # 216
Texas -13.5 over Clemson
Clemson is a program that is used for big-time football games. Dabo Sweeny is an elite coach who turned water into wine this year. The Tigers didn’t look good enough to win the ACC this year, but they found a way to win their conference. Texas has so much talent across the board. Quinn Ewers can heat up and put points on the board quickly. The Longhorns had the same five starters on the offensive line all season, which helped the offense run smoothly. The Longhorn defense is why they are a big favorite in this contest. Texas shuts teams running game down, but they are tops in the country at stopping the pass. The Longhorns are stacked at all three levels on defense and will look to make life hard for Cade Klubnik. Look for the Longhorns to create turnovers, which will turn into points. Take Texas.
College Football
8:00 PM EST
Rotation # 218
Ohio State -7 over Tennessee
Ohio State was stunned by Michigan, which knocked them out of the BIG 10 Title Game. The only good news is they had more time to prepare for this game. After watching Indiana get smoked last night, a lot of the public is wondering just how good the BIG 10 conference is. Head Coach Ryan Day is looking to extend the Buckeyes season. Ohio Stadium will be rocking under the lights. QB Will Howard has been a great addition to the Buckeyes. Quinshon Judkins and TreVeyon Henderson have been a great one-two punch at running back. On the defensive side, the Buckeyes have been solid against the pass and the run. Tennessee running back Dylan Sampson is fun to watch so that it will be a great matchup. Tennessee loves to operate fast, which could get them in trouble against a solid Buckeyes defense. Homefield advantage means just about everything in the playoffs. Look for the Buckeyes to ride the momentum of the home crowd from start to finish on a cold evening. Take Ohio State.
, Jeremiyah Love(ND) 70+ rush
