Predictions/picks against the spread for Championship Weekend

Tua Tagovoiloa raises the national championship trophy in January 2018.

By Brandon Scalea

There is nothing more exciting to me than breaking down chaotic College Football Playoff scenarios, and there is no question that this weekend can create havoc. In past years, championship weekend has been somewhat of a formality—that is not the case this season.

By late Saturday night, we are either going to have a clear playoff picture or absolutely no idea of what it is going to look like until the committee makes its final decision next Tuesday.

Here are my betting predictions for the Power 5 conference title games, as well as outright score predictions. I will also make my final CFB playoff prediction at the risk of ridicule from the 50 or so loyal page viewers I get every week. Enjoy. 

PAC 12 Championship: Nov. 30, 8 p.m.

17 Utah vs. 11 Washington (-5.5)

This game will likely have not have a winner in the playoff, but I think it’s a really interesting matchup. Utah has proven year after year that it is a force in that conference, but the team has not quite established itself as an elite team in the PAC 12.

On the other hand, Washington was a team a lot of people had in their preseason playoff predictions. The Huskies, particularly their hyped-up quarterback Jake Browning, have been a letdown this year. I think Washington has lost interest in the remainder of their season and will play down to this Utah opponent.

Pick against the spread: Utah

Score prediction: 35-24 Utah

Big 12 Championship: Dec. 1, noon

14 Texas vs. 5 Oklahoma (-8)

This is a rematch of the Red River Rivalry that gave Oklahoma its only loss of the season. Tom Herman’s Texas squad has been impressive this year, but I think the Longhorns are still a year or two away from legitimate national title contention. The Sooners have already been in that conversation, year after year, for the better part of a decade.

I think Oklahoma uses its experience and offensive prowess to revenge its earlier defeat to Texas. It will be another one of those ugly, Big 12 shootout games, and the Sooners will just be too difficult to stop. Oklahoma wins and finds itself in the Playoff for the second straight season.

Pick against the spread: Oklahoma

Score prediction: 49-34 Oklahoma

SEC Championship: Dec. 1, 4 p.m.

4 Georgia vs. 1 Alabama (-13.5)

This game has monumental implications, needless to say. It also provides some pretty interesting potential scenarios. I think if Georgia wins, Alabama still gets into the playoff at No. 3 or No. 4 irrespective of how the teams fare who are on the bubble. A lot of people can make a pretty sound argument that Georgia is the second-best team in the country.

The Bulldogs are also coming into this game with a little more edge. That 2^nd and 26 play in overtime has likely been playing in their heads since January. Kirby Smart is a Nick Saban protegee, and he likely knows a thing or two about how the latter functions in big games. One thing is for certain: this is going to be a hell of a ballgame, and I think a two-touchdown line is pretty hefty. However, Alabama is the most dominant team I have seen in years and they aren’t stopping now.

Pick against the spread: Georgia

Score prediction: 35-27 Alabama

ACC Championship: Dec. 1, 8 p.m.

Pittsburgh vs. 2 Clemson (-27.5)

I think this is going to be a weird game. There is no question that Clemson is unequivocally better than Pitt in every aspect of football, but the Panthers have been a tough team for certain powerhouses to put away. The previous 2 seasons, Pitt has upset Clemson and Miami, both ranked No. 2 at the time.

I’m not going to say that Pitt will win the football game because that is simply not going to happen. I think at the end day Clemson is Alabama’s biggest challenge because it can score a lot of points. But the Tigers will look sluggish and ugly, and there is no way in hell they are covering a four TD spread.

Pick against the spread: Pitt

Score prediction: 27-13 Clemson

Big Ten Championship: Dec. 1, 8 p.m.

21 Northwestern vs. 6 Ohio State (-14)

This is another game that I think can be very interesting, particularly early on. Northwestern will come out fired up. We know Ohio State fans travel well, but Indy is not far from Chicago, and I think the NU fans will show up loud and proud. The Wildcats have been a solid football team in the Big Ten for a long time, but this is their first real opportunity to establish themselves as the real deal. This game means a lot more to Northwestern than it does Ohio State.

Yes, the Buckeyes are jacked up from their absolute beatdown of Michigan last week. Yes, Ohio State still has a decent shot of getting into the Playoff. The Buckeyes will win, but only by doing so after asserting their dominance late in the game. There is still a clear gap in talent between Ohio State and a middle-of-the-road Big Ten team.

Pick against the spread: Ohio State

Score prediction: 38-21 Ohio State

CFB Playoff prediction:

1. Alabama
2. Clemson
3. Notre Dame
4. Oklahoma

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Michigan is a team of destiny

Jim Harbaugh leads his team onto the field.

By Mike Santaniello

@The_Santman

We have been conditioned in recent years to see Michigan shrink in big moments and become a punching bag to the rest of the Big Ten.

We all remember some of these games that have left Wolverine fans like myself shocked and in disappointment. The mishandled punt against Michigan State, or Penn State Saquon Barkley scoring 2 touchdowns in the first 5 minutes in the 42-13 beatdown in Happy Valley. And who can forget Ohio State's questionable first down spot in overtime.

So we have expected the Wolverines to leave fans in disappointment and be bullied by the premier Big Ten teams. But so far this year that hasn't been the case.

This isn't your typical Wolverines team that floats around the top 25 before losing a big game in heartbreaking fashion. This is a team on a mission for revenge, and to show the Big Ten and the playoff voters why this team is for real this time.

The season started out with a hiccup against now No. 3 and 11-0 Notre Dame, but since then the Wolverines have won 9 straight and have won games in dominate fashion. The big knock on Harbaugh is that he can't win in conference games against the tough Big 10 teams. With the addition of star quarterback Shea Patterson who offers stability after the revolving door of quarterbacks Michigan has had as of late.

So far this year, though, he has dominated the conference currently maintaining a 7-0 conference record.

Michigan walked into Michigan State and controlled the line of scrimmage the entire game and did not allow Michigan State to move the ball at all. One week after Penn State was dominated 42-7 as the Michigan pass rush led by Rashan Gary and Chase Winovich dominated the Penn State offensive line.

Team leader Chase Winovich said after the Penn State game, “We wanted our lunch money back...with interest.”

This Michigan team is on a revenge tour and it's been pretty fun to watch them walk into every game with the intent on physically imposing their will on their rivals. Their offense isn't flashy— they want to beat you down with the run and play good defense.

The final stop on the revenge tour for Michigan as it faces its biggest challenge in traveling to the #10 ranked Ohio State Buckeyes. Jim Harbaugh has yet to defeat the Buckeyes and will look to punch Michigan's ticket to its first CFB Playoff by beating Urban Meyer.

Of course, Michigan will still have to beat Northwestern in the Big Ten title game.

Ohio State was my preseason pick to win the Big Ten but after seeing how both teams have performed and seeing the white hot Wolverines steamroll through its competition it's hard to believe they aren't destined for the playoff this year.

Which team can actually beat Alabama?

Clemson's Trevor Lawrence looks downfield against Boston College.

By Brandon Scalea

Alabama has been in Dynasty Mode since week 1 of the season, annihilating every team like this is some kind of video game. 

This is Nick Saban's world, we are all just living in it—that has been well-established. 

So, it is probably safe to say that the Crimson Tide are a lock to get into the College Football Playoff for the fifth straight year. They are the only team in the country to get into the four-team postseason tournament every year since its inception in 2014. There is also the small detail of them making the national title game the last three years, winning in 2016 and 2018. 

With Alabama seemingly locked at No. 1, that brings up the ultimate question: is there a team that can actually take down the Tide this year?

I would say the answer is yes, just one: Clemson. 

Is this good for college football? Probably not. The only reason the Tigers didn't make the national championship again last season is because fate set them up with Alabama in the national semifinal. 

I'm channeling my inner James Franklin here when I say that there are only two elite teams in college football: Alabama and Clemson. I would put Georgia in its own little category below them, but the gap separating the aforementioned teams from the rest of the country is absolutely tremendous. There are several great teams in college football, and several teams that are rightfully still in the playoff conversation. 

But only two have the clout of the ones led by Saban and his millennial foe, Dabo Swinney. 

So, here's why Clemson can actually go toe-to-toe with Alabama, assuming they would meet in the national championship game for the third time in four years. *Yawn*. 

The only team that can beat Alabama is one that can match it point for point. The Tigers have the offensive talent to get into an absolute shootout with the Crimson Tide, and that's what it's going to take. 

The defense of Michigan will not get it done against Alabama. A potential semifinal matchup between the two storied programs will draw a lot of attention and hype, but Alabama will turn that game into a snooze fest as it always does against a brand-name team. Look at the game against No. 3 (!!!!) LSU as a perfect example of how a game against Michigan would go. 

Jim Harbaugh can call himself an offensive guru all he wants, but let's face it—you're only going to score 42 points against Rutgers? Basic algebra tells you that you might not get a first down against Alabama. 

Trevor Lawrence looks like he should be surfing in Malibu or at the very least, gracing the cover of some men's fashion magazine. But truth is, he's a hell of a quarterback and he's got the weapons around him to match with Tua. 

There are still two weeks of regular season football remaining to shake up the final top four. But I'd say there's a really good chance the way it looks now is the way it's going to be come New Years Day. 

Brandon Scalea can be contacted at scaleasports@gmail.com. Follow him on Twitter @brandonscalea 

Championship or bust for Baggett and Broncs

Kevin Baggett game plans with his core guys during the 2017-18 season.

By Brandon Scalea

The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again, but expecting a different result. Rider basketball has summed this up over the last few years.

In four years’ time, the Broncs have been good, then bad, then decent, then really, really good. But four years in a row the team has exited the MAAC tournament in the quarterfinals. In this round of the winner-take-all conference playoff, head coach Kevin Baggett is 0-5 in his career. For a guy entering his seventh season—a 2-time MAAC Coach of the Year who is making over $220,000, according to The Rider News, decent MAAC money—when is enough considered enough?

Rider, the defending MAAC regular-season champion and NIT invitee, returns its starting five from last year. The Broncs won 22 games and went 15-3 in conference play in 2017-18. Non-conference resumè included wins over Penn State, George Washington, and California Irvine. Notably, if not for a selfish, last-second technical foul issued to Baggett, Rider could have also pulled off a remarkable road win over nationally ranked Providence.

Broncs’ fans who have been around long enough to be skeptical, who have seen the highs and lows, seemed convinced that season was the year their beloved team would get back to the NCAA tournament. After all, as the team continued to pile on wins, ESPN and CBS bracketology had Rider as a lock to get in—sometimes as high as a 12-seed. Rider fans started mentally preparing themselves for a first-round scuffle with the likes of Duke and Cincinnati.

After winning a thriller over second-place Canisius to all but earn the first seed in Albany, the Broncs seemed destined. But waiting in the quarterfinals was St. Peter’s and head coach John Dunne, Rider’s kryptonite. The Peacocks used stingy defense and a stifling full-court press to frustrate the Broncs year after year.

Baggett’s team saved their worst performance of the season for the game that mattered the most. I couldn’t even tell you the final score of the game because I have effectively suppressed it from my memory.

Iona went on to win the MAAC title game over a lesser opponent for seemingly the hundredth year in a row. To make matters worse, the Gaels went on to play Duke in the first round of NCAAs, so you almost found yourself rooting for them. OK, maybe not. 

Last season, Rider had the dudes to not only get back to the NCAA tournament, but given the right opponent, possibly even make some noise. This year, there is no excuse. It is MAAC championship or bust.

Stevie Jordan has been the quarterback and heartbeat of the Bronc offense for the last 2 years. He has had his issues off the court, but there is never a doubt he is going to compete and give you a hell of an effort. Expect him to reach newer heights as an upperclassman. 

What even needs to be said about Dimencio Vaughn? He was a legitimate MAAC Player of the Year candidate as a freshman, and he would have gotten my vote if I had one. If he can confirm as a sophomore that he is the real deal, Vaughn might even be a considerable NBA talent. 

Then there is Jordan Allen, who is the best shooter in the conference, and I will not even hear an argument. Once he is feeling it, he will step back from Steph Curry range. This tends to drive Baggett crazy, but when Allen notches double-digit points before you can even blink, who will complain?

I will not forget to mention Tyere Marshall, who is automatic in the paint when he chooses to be. When he gets going, so does Rider’s offense as a whole. Devine Eke, a second-year transfer from Maine, adds depth. 

This year’s non-conference slate includes powerhouse West Virginia, Central Florida (UCF), and Washington State. Good markers for where this team is really at, but we all know the only thing that matters is the conference tournament. 

On Tuesday night, the Broncs took on UCF in Orlando. After claiming a lead in the later part of the first half, the Knights suddenly woke up and blew Rider's doors off. UCF won by double digits. 

Time and time again, we are reminded that the MAAC is a one-bid league. *Laughs at the 2015-16 Monmouth Hawks.*

The last time Rider was in the NCAA Tournament was 3 years before the current senior class was even born. Do the math. That’s a long time ago.

This year is championship or bust. There is no excuse. Get it done, Broncs.

Brandon Scalea can be contacted at scaleasports@gmail.com. Follow him on Twitter @brandonscalea 

Prediction: Alabama will win highly contested SEC

By Brandon Ferris

Nick Saban exits the field after last year's thrilling national title game.

Year after year we see that the SEC is top heavy. The few heavyweights that dominate the SEC beat each other up each year, which usually leads to only one SEC team getting that prestigious college playoff berth. However, last year was the exception. 

Predictability is not always the most exciting route, but in the SEC, we’ve come to see that predictable is the norm. After winning its fifth national championship in the last nine years, it seems as though Alabama is the team to beat. Indeed, the Crimson Tide lost a lot of players in the NFL draft (as always), but Nick Saban can always rebuild within a few months. Players like Calvin Ridley, Minkah Fitzpatrick, Ronnie Harrison, and Bo Scarbrough will not be returning this year. A record 12 players were selected from Alabama in the NFL draft, but there are more than enough players for Saban to use. But, all eyes will be on the starting quarterback battle.

Speaking of quarterbacks, two teams that could dethrone Alabama have Heisman candidates leading their team. Jake Fromm of Georgia and Auburn's Jarrett Stidham look to lead their teams to the college football playoff.

Kirby Smart and the Bulldogs should have an easy time winning the East Division of the SEC, similar to last year. Georgia finished 13-2, with a 7-1 conference record. While they lost key contributors like Nick Chubb and Roquan Smith, a healthy Jake Fromm can take Georgia back to the SEC championship and maybe back to the College Football Playoff. Florida and Missouri may present tough challenges, but the Bulldogs should run all over them.

On the East side, look for Auburn and Alabama to take control. An Iron Bowl with huge implications is great for the SEC and college football. Auburn will look to control their games with their tough defense and Gus Malzahn will hope that Stidham can take the next step as an elite QB. Even though Auburn will present a tough challenge, the Tide will meet the Bulldogs in the SEC championship this year. 

With sleepers like Missouri, LSU, and Texas A&M with Jimbo Fisher, the SEC could have more of a level playing field this year. There are a lot of good quarterbacks in the south that can lead their team to many victories. 

However, the Tide will come out of the SEC and will look to win its sixth national title in 10 years. 

Prediction: Ohio State poised to win Big Ten title again

By Mike Santaniello

Urban Meyer's squad, despite heavy competition, win once again win the Big Ten.

The Big Ten is one of the most dominant conferences in all of college football. The conference has five candidates alone that could contend for a playoff spot.

Despite high competition, Urban Meyer’s Ohio State Buckeyes have held control of the the conference the last few years — teams such as Michigan, Wisconsin and Penn State are waiting to dethrone the reigning champs.

Michigan State also has potential to make some noise and be competitive.

Jim Harbaugh has Michigan ready to bounce back. They still have one of the most complete defenses on all three levels, and a very talented wide receiver core with Peoples-Jones predicted for a breakout season. It will be interesting to see Penn State’s team post-Saquon Barkley Era, but they are still a very well-rounded team.

Wisconsin still has a firm control over the weak west division, so they are bound to be in the mix of things. Michigan State was fortunate to win six close games last season, but have the coaching and talent to repeat that this year.

Despite all this I still see the Buckeyes making it back to the Big Ten Championship. I do not think Michigan State and Penn State have the talent to match up the well-rounded Urban Meyer-coached football team.

I do believe Michigan will be highly competitive this year and will be in the mix with Ohio State, but Jim Harbaugh’s inability to win big games will continue to haunt the Wolverines and it will knock them behind Ohio State in the East standings.

The west division is almost a lock with the Wisconsin Badgers destined for their fourth appearance in five years, with Iowa the only team with a chance to be competitive unless the Hawkeyes have a total collapse this year.

So with Wisconsin and Ohio State winning their divisions respectively, we will see a rematch of last year’s championship game. The result will be the same, with the Buckeyes beating the Badgers in dominant fashion with a 35-21 victory. This time, though, Ohio State will actually get into the playoff.

Sophomore J.K. Dobbins will have a repeat of his 174 yard MVP performance, I believe setting the pace on the ground for Ohio State with a 100-plus-yard game, and the pass rush will keep the Badgers quarterbacks running for their lives.

McSorley will pick up some hardware this year

McSorley scrambles against USC in the 2016 Rose Bowl game.

By Brandon Scalea

For the last two seasons, Penn State has knocked on the door but come up short.

This year, senior quarterback Trace McSorley will not only guide the Nittany Lions to college football's promised land, the four-team playoff, he will win the Heisman Trophy in the process.

The Vegas money line on McSorley to earn this hardware is currently +2700, so a conservative $20 bet would net $560. If you're in New Jersey or Delaware, where sports betting just became legal, I'd suggest looking into this.

Let's take a look at what the kid from Ashburn, Virginia has done in his first two years in Happy Valley. While he's certainly been overshadowed by the tremendous athlete that was Saquon Barkley, the quarterback emerged as one of the nation's finest dual-threats. While Penn State struggled with a subpar offensive line, McSorley still played a major role in a Big Ten title in 2016, resulting in being the first team out of that year's playoff. Last season, the Nittany Lions started 7-0 before dropping two consecutive road heartbreakers to Ohio State and Michigan State, respectively.

No single play defined McSorley's skill and football intelligence more than one that proved the difference in Iowa last season.

With the Hawkeyes clinging to a 19-15 lead with under 10 seconds to play over the then-undefeated Nittany Lions, PSU needed a miracle. On fourth and goal, with the rowdy Iowa crowd shaking the stadium, McSorley saw something he didn't like in the Hawkeye defense and made a quick adjustment. He quickly got the snap, took a two-step drop and fired the winning touchdown pass in the back of the end zone as time expired.

Barkley had been shut down virtually the whole game, so Penn State needed McSorley to come up huge. He rose to the challenge.

Last season, he completed 65 percent of his passes for over 3,200 yards. He threw 26 touchdowns and 8 interceptions. His 2016 numbers were even better: 3,600 yards and 29 touchdowns.

Penn State has been on the rise the last two seasons and it's due in large part to the young man under center. He's got the same skill set as Baker Mayfield, last year's Heisman winner and this year's first overall pick in the NFL Draft.

The de facto Big Ten Championship will be the Sept. 29 showdown against Ohio State at Beaver Stadium. It will be the whiteout game, and Penn State fans might even break last year's attendance record — 110,000-plus in the whiteout against Michigan.

Let's see if McSorley's senior season will be his best yet.

Brandon Scalea can be reached at brandonscalea22@gmail.com. Follow him on Twitter @brandonscalea.