Weekly NFL Picks and Predictions
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Fearless Rick & Coin Flip Week 8 NFL Picks
Week 7 Results:
ALL TIMES EASTERN
Thursday, October 24
Minnesota Vikings (-3, 48) at Los Angeles Rams, 8:15 pm (Prime Video) - Minnesota took their first loss of the season last week, as the Lions upended them, 31-29. Losing a close one to a divisional opponent that played in the conference championship last season isn't a knock at all. The Vikings have a solid defense and with Aaron Jones beside Sam Darnold in the backfield, and Justin Jefferson running routes, they're quite formidable.
The Rams have yet to get it all together, but may make this one interesting. At 2-4, they have to start winning some games, but this doesn't appear to be a good spot for them. Last week's 20-15 win over the Raiders wasn't very pretty. The Rams need to do better if they expect to top the Vikings
Coin Flip: Minnesota
Fearless Rick's Pick: Vikings 24 Rams 17
Baltimore Ravens (-9, 44.5) at Cleveland Browns, 1:00 pm (CBS) - Uh, oh, James Winston will be starting at QB for the Browns, which means the Ravens, one of the bst defenses in the league, are probably going to produce (or be gifted) three turnovers. Winston is a noted fumbler and gets picked a lot. (142 TDs, 99 INTs, career).
Ravens should make quick work of their divisional opponent.
Coin Flip: Baltimore
Fearless Rick's Pick: Ravens 34 Browns 14
Those two factors should lead to a Detroit romp.
Coin Flip: Tennessee
Fearless Rick's Pick: Lions 38 Titans 10
Houston should be able to clamp down on Anthony Richardson and keep Jonathan Taylor to minimal rushing yards.
Coin Flip: Indianapolis
Fearless Rick's Pick: Texans 30 Colts 14
Jacksonville sorely needs a win and they may pull off the upset on their native soil.
Coin Flip: Green Bay
Fearless Rick's Pick: Jaguars 27 Packers 24
Arizona's losses have come against teams with winning records - Detroit, Buffalo, Washington, Green Bay. Miami is 2-4.
Coin Flip: Miami
Fearless Rick's Pick: Cardinals 23 Dolphins 20
The Jets have lost four straight, the Patriots six in a row. Hard to see the Jets winning by more than a TD.
Coin Flip: New England
Fearless Rick's Pick: Jets 20 Patriots 16
With Kirk Cousins and Baker Mayfield probably not being under too much pressure, this could turn into a real shoot-out. Atlanta won at home earlier this season, 36-30, in OT, so Tampa Bay is likely to return the favor.
Coin Flip: Atlanta
Fearless Rick's Pick: Buccaneers 31 Falcons 27
Tough call, but the Eagles appear poised to go on a run. They've won two straight since their bye week and the defense has stepped up.
Coin Flip: Philadelphia
Fearless Rick's Pick: Eagles 27 Bengals 24
The Chargers aren't exactly killing it at 3-3, and they have injuries as well, especially thin at wide receiver. Their defense has been exceptional and will need to win this game for them.
Coin Flip: Los Angles Chargers
Fearless Rick's Pick: Chargers 20 Saints 10
Seattle made a mockery of the Falcons in Atlanta with a 34-14 victory, ending a three-game skid. Geno Smith continues to play well at QB for the Seahawks, but Buffalo appears to have found a new level.
Coin Flip: Buffalo
Fearless Rick's Pick: Bills 34 Seahawks 20
Denver is 4-3, their losses have all been by one score, so they have every right to be thinking playoffs. Look for Denver to establish an early lead and let their defense go to work.
Coin Flip: Carolina
Fearless Rick's Pick: Broncos 31 Panthers 14
Getting points at home, Daniels or not, Washington has been playing well all season and should be ready to man up.
Coin Flip: Washington
Fearless Rick's Pick: Commanders 26 Bears 23
Coin Flip: Las Vegas
Fearless Rick's Pick: Chiefs 38 Raiders 17
Dallas should be able to keep this close while wearing down the SF defense and come away with a much needed win.
Coin Flip: Dallas
Fearless Rick's Pick: Cowboys 24 49ers 16
New York Giants at Pittsburgh Steelers (-6.5, 36.5), 8:15 pm (ESPN/ABC) - The Steel Curtain is back in vogue. Through seven games, Pittsburgh has allowed a mere 101 points, a league low (LA Chargers, 83, thru 6 games). The defense was on display in the 37-15 win over the Jets Monday night, and they get to chew on another metro opponent when the Giants come to town.
Russell Wilson, threw for a pair of scores and 264 yards against the Jets, showing no sigs of rust. With the Giants just 2-5, and with virtually no run game, this looks like a one-sided affair.
Coin Flip: New York Giants
Fearless Rick's Pick: Steelers 26 Giants 13
Fearless Rick & Coin Flip Week 7 NFL Picks
Week 6 Results:
ALL TIMES EASTERN
Thursday, October 17
Short rest for both teams. Denver is 2-0 on the road. The saints have lost four straight after starting 2-0.
Coin Flip: Denver
Fearless Rick's Pick: Broncos 28 Saints 13
New England Patriots at Jacksonville Jaguars (-5.5, 42.5), (at Wembley, London) - The Pats started Drake Maye, rookie out of North Carolina, at QB last week against the Texans, and the result was as expected, a 41-21 Houston victory. Maye threw for three scores, but had two picks and was harassed by Houston's front and sacked four times. He should do better against the 1-5 Jaguars. Only Carolina has allowed more points than Jacksonville.
New England isn't much better than Jacksonville on defense, but there may be no better opportunity for Maye to record his first NFL win than over in London town. Looks like a shootout brewing between Maye and Trevor Lawrence, despite the low O/U set in Vegas.
Coin Flip: New England
Fearless Rick's Pick: Patriots 37 Jaguars 34
Atlanta's been punching above their weight, so to speak, cruising past he Panthers last week, 38-20, sharing the lead in the NFC South with Tampa Bay at 4-2. Winners of three straight, don't see them slowing down at all here.
Coin Flip: Atlanta
Fearless Rick's Pick: Falcons 27 Seahawks 20
The Titans have a tendency to give games away, mostly because their quarterback, Will Levis, is still learning. They'll have to lean on their defense, which isn't so bad. Can they hang in and lose by less than 10? Maybe.
Coin Flip: Buffalo
Fearless Rick's Pick: Bills 24 Titans 20
While everybody is still enamored with Joe "cool" Burrow, this game has all the trappings for an upset.
Coin Flip: Cincinnati
Fearless Rick's Pick: Browns 23 Bengals 21
Both teams have plenty to offer on both sides of the ball, but the Packers, coming off a 34-13 mauling of the Cardinals, are home for a second straight week, while the Texans are road warriors again after their 4121 win at New England.
Coin Flip: Green Bay
Fearless Rick's Pick: Packers 30 Texans 24
Miami QB, Tyler Huntley, may be a godsend for the Dolphins. Far from perfect, he does have experience and running skills that the Dolphins can use to their advantage. If he is able to get the ball into the hands of playmakers like Tyreek Hill, Jaylen Waddle and Odell Beckham Jr., Miami may be able to establish a lead the Colts cannot match.
Coin Flip: Indianapolis
Fearless Rick's Pick: Dolphins 31 Colts 21
Being too close to call, seriously, the Lions, getting points, is a reasonable play, but either team can win this.
Coin Flip: Minnesota
Fearless Rick's Pick: Lions 30 Vikings 27
The Eagles are 5-1 their last six against the G-Men, including a 38-7 whacking in the divisional round in 2022. Eagles may have their prey in sight.
Coin Flip: New York Giants
Fearless Rick's Pick: Eagles 30 Giants 17
Sorry, Raiders, but Aidan O'Connell is not the answer.
Coin Flip: Los Angeles Rams
Fearless Rick's Pick: Rams 27 Raiders 10
Coin Flip: Carolina
Fearless Rick's Pick: Commanders 30 Panthers 0
The 5-0 Chiefs come off a bye week, but will be without Rashee Rice for the remainder of the season, but they've been gutting games out all along and still have the best QB in the business, that Mahomes guy. San Fran is a little challenged without Christian McCaffrey, but they're in the hunt as usual, tied with Seattle at 3-3 atop the NFC West division. Neither team needs the game, but it's hard to go against Andy Reid and Patrick Mahomes no matter the circumstances.
Coin Flip: San Francisco
Fearless Rick's Pick: Chiefs 23 49ers 20
4-2 Pittsburgh has defied logic on offense with Justin Fields leading them, and could be making a big mistake putting in Russell Wilson here. The Jets are desperate for a win and could break through at any time. A defensive battle should develop, but look for Aaron Rodgers to make winning plays, especially if Davante Adams (acquired Tuesday) replaces worthless Mike Williams in the slot.
Coin Flip: New York Jets
Fearless Rick's Pick: Jets 19 Steelers 17
Baltimore Ravens (-3, 48.5) at Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 8:15 pm (ABC, ESPN) - Its show time in Tampa, where Baker Mayfield and the Tampa Bay defense will either put up or shut up against the always dangerous Ravens. Both teams are 4-2 and tied atop their respective divisions, so this one may get somewhat serious.
No team has stood out thus far into the season, but these are two of the better ones. ABC made a smart move airing it nationally. Beats the heck out of Dancing with the Stars or whatever woke junk they had planned.
For what it's worth, Baker Mayfield has a 71% completion rate, and has 15 TDs and 5 picks on the season.
Coin Flip: Tampa Bay
Fearless Rick's Pick: Buccaneers 30 Ravens 27
No matter where they play, the Cardinals pretty much stink. Chargers looking pretty good at 3-2, especially on defense, having allowed just 66 points.
Coin Flip: Los Angeles Chargers
Fearless Rick's Pick: Chargers 23 Cardinals 13
Fearless Rick & Coin Flip Week 6 NFL Picks
Week 5 Results:
ALL TIMES EASTERN
Thursday, October 10
San Francisco 49ers (-3.5, 49.5) at Seattle Seahawks, 8:15 pm (Prime Video) - The 49ers looked more like 7th graders in their loss to Arizona last week and the Seahawks came within a blocked field goal of overtime against the Giants. Divisional game, points at home. Yeah, sure.
Generally speaking, this game is a pass, so tread lightly, if at all.
Coin Flip: Seattle
Fearless Rick's Pick: Seahawks 20 49ers 16
Jacksonville Jaguars vs Chicago Bears (-2, 44.5) (at Tottenham, London), 9:30 am (NFL Network) - Jacksonville got their first win of the season last week, just barely edging out the Colts, 37-34 at home. They're 1-4 and not very good. The Bears have more upside and twice as many wins. No team is allowing more ppg than Jacksonville except, hmmm, the Bengals.
Coin Flip: Chicago
Fearless Rick's Pick: Bears 34 Jaguars 24
Coin Flip: Baltimore
Fearless Rick's Pick: Commanders 31 Ravens 29
Coin Flip: Green Bay
Fearless Rick's Pick: Packers 40 Cardinals 20
Coin Flip: New England
Fearless Rick's Pick: Texans 34 Patriots 0
Coin Flip: New Orleans
Fearless Rick's Pick: Buccaneers 27 Saints 13
Coin Flip: Cleveland
Fearless Rick's Pick: Eagles 27 Browns 10
Coin Flip: Tennessee
Fearless Rick's Pick: Titans 30 Colts 17
Both teams are playing well defensively. This might be the under play of the week.
Coin Flip: Denver
Fearless Rick's Pick: Broncos 19 Chargers 16
Coin Flip: Pittsburgh
Fearless Rick's Pick: Steelers 20 Raiders 13
Coin Flip: Atanta
Fearless Rick's Pick: Falcons 31 Panters 14
Coin Flip: Dallas
Fearless Rick's Pick: Lions 24 Cowboys 17
Coin Flip: New York Giants
Fearless Rick's Pick: Giants 26 Bengals 24
Buffalo Bills (-2.5, 41) at New York Jets, 8:15 pm (ESPN) - Both teams are coming off losses, but it appears the Jets are actually playing better football than the Bills, despite their record. The winner of this contest will have first place in the division, and it's arguable that the Jets have the better defense, plus the firing of head coach Sales probably a step in the right direction.
Coin Flip: New York Jets
Fearless Rick's Pick: Jets 23 Bills 21
Byes: Kansas City, Los Angeles Rams, Miami, Minnesota
Fearless Rick & Coin Flip Week 5 NFL Picks
Week 4 Results:
Thursday, October 3
Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Atlanta Falcons (-1.5, 43.5), 8:15 pm (Prime Video) - The Falcons are home for a third straight week and come off a 26-24 win over the Saints. They are finding their best offense and the defense has been good enough the past three weeks, producing a 22-21 win over the Eagles and losing a tight one, 22-17, to the Chiefs.
Tampa Bay is 3-1, leading the division and were last seen wrecking the Eagles, 33-16. The Bucs and Falcons split their divisional series last season, each winning on the road. Falcons should produce a win and tighten up the divisional race, but that's far from a certainty.
Coin Flip: Atlanta
Fearless Rick's Pick: Falcons 27 Buccaneers 24
New York Jets vs Minnesota Vikings (-2.5, 40.5) (at Tottenham, London) 9:30 am (NFLN) - 4-0 Vikings meet unlucky Aaron Rodgers and the Jets (not a rock band). Had a few plays gone differently for the Jets, especially in their rain-drenched 10-9 loss to Denver, the Jets might be 4-0.
The Vikings have beaten good teams: Giants, 49ers, Texans, and Packers - and done so confidently. Can the Jets contain Justin Jefferson for 60 minutes? Probably not.
Coin Flip: New York Jets
Fearless Rick's Pick: Vikings 24 Jets 16
The Bears are not really that good and neither is their rookie QB, Caleb Williams, so giving four points may be a stretch. Looking for a close game.
Coin Flip: Carolina
Fearless Rick's Pick: Panthers 24 Bears 23
Who's not favored at home should be a red flag.
Coin Flip: Baltimore
Fearless Rick's Pick: Ravens 30 Bengals 21
Everything points to a tight game featuring two talented, playoff-bound teams. Home field should count for something, but in this case Houston gets a point. Take it.
Coin Flip: Buffalo
Fearless Rick's Pick: Texans 26 Bills 24
Coin Flip: Indianapolis
Fearless Rick's Pick: Jaguars 24 Colts 17
Coin Flip: Miami
Fearless Rick's Pick: Patriots 20 Dolphins 13
QB Jayden Daniels is almost certain to be NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year and may bid for league MVP. Washington may be the best pure play of the week.
Coin Flip: Washington
Fearless Rick's Pick: Commanders 38 Browns 14
Coin Flip: Denver
Fearless Rick's Pick: Broncos 23 Raiders 13
Even a little banged up, the 49ers are a vastly superior team.
Coin Flip: San Francisco
Fearless Rick's Pick: 49ers 31 Cardinals 16
They should do better against the up-and-down 1-3 Rams, who managed somehow to lose to Arizona and Chicago, but beat the 49ers. The Rams are really desperate for a quality performance and may spring the upset.
Coin Flip: Green Bay
Fearless Rick's Pick: Rams 28 Packers 26
The Giants show signs of improvement and injuries to Seattle defenders may pave the way for a breakout game for Daniel Jones and the G-Men's offense. The 20-15 loss to the Cowboys last week was a good effort by the defense.
Coin Flip: Seattle
Fearless Rick's Pick: Giants 27 Seahawks 24
Even though the Steelers are home and Dallas is on the road a second straight week, it's worthwhile to note that the Cowboys' game was on Thursday, giving them extra time to prepare and get healthy.
Coin Flip: Dallas
Fearless Rick's Pick: Cowboys 21 Steelers 17
New Orleans Saints at Kansas City Chiefs (-5, 42.5), 8:15 pm (ESPN) - Awesome match-up to close out the week, with the 4-0 Chiefs having to deal with injuries at wideout and running back. The door is open for Derek Carr and the Saints to hand KC their first loss of the season.
New Orleans lost to Philly, 15-12, two weeks ago, and dropped a divisional game at Atlanta, 26-24, last week. Chris Olave, who missed the Atlanta game, is back for the Saints this week.
Coin Flip: Kansas City
Fearless Rick's Pick: Saints 29 Chiefs 24
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Fearless Rick & Coin Flip Week 9 College Picks
Week 8 Results: Rick: 6-7; Flip: 8-5
All Times Eastern
Thursday, October 24
7:30 pm Syracuse at 19 Pittsburgh (-6, 62.5) (ESPN) - Pitt remains undefeated after their 17-15 win over Cal on October 12. Now, with a week off, they host the 5-1 Orange, who also have aims on the ACC title, as they also had last week off after wining at NC State, 24-17.
Syracuse QB Kyle McCord is playing like a Heisman candidate, with 19 TDs and 6 INTs. This is a long-standing rivalry in which Pitt has prevailed five straight until the Orange won, 28-13, last season.
Coin Flip: Syracuse
Fearless Rick's Pick: Orange 31 Panthers 24
10:30 pm 17 Boise State (-3, 65.5) at UNLV (CBSSN) - The Rebels of UNLV are 6-1, the only loss a 44-41 OT defeat at the hands of Syracue. Getting this game at home offers and edge to UNLV and it's important, as the winner will remain on top of the Mountain West, Both teams are 2-0 in conference play.
Boise, 5-1, has only a loss to Oregon, 37-34, on its resume. Both teams have plenty of offense and negligible defense, so the OVER seems a likely scenario.
Coin Flip: UNLV
Fearless Rick's Pick: Rebels 41 Broncos 38
12:00 pm Nebraska at 4 Ohio State (-25.5, 48.5) (FOX) - The huge spread afforded the Cornhuskers is due to their horrific performance last week, simply overwhelmed by Indiana, 56-7.
After their 32-31 loss at Oregon two weeks ago, the Buckeyes need to win their remaining games if they have hopes of winning the Big Ten, meaning they can't take Nebraska lightly. Playing this game in Columbus is a big edge for Ohio State.
Nebraska, for all the hype about Matt Rhule's turnaround prowess, hasn't hit the big time yet. Freshman QB Dylan Raiola is said to model his play after Patrick Mahomes. Sadly, he's nowhere near as good.
Coin Flip: Ohio State
Fearless Rick's Pick: Buckeyes 44 Cornhuskers 13
However, it's impossible to resist taking 13 points at a neutral site with a Navy team that's 6-0 and has won every game by a minimum of 12 points. Navy's defense and special teams will be key to victory.
Coin Flip: Notre Dame
Fearless Rick's Pick: Midshipmen 31 Fighting Irish 24
7-0 Indiana has scored 41 or more points in every game since their opener, a 31-7 pounding of Florida International. The Huskies can't defend well enough to keep this even close.
Coin Flip: Washington
Fearless Rick's Pick: Hoosiers 45 Huskies 21
With all indications pointing to a completely wrecked season for the Sooners, Ole Miss, with an extra week off following their 29-26 OT loss at LSU, should get back on track. Their defense should have a field day against the sluggish Sooner offense.
Coin Flip: Oklahoma
Fearless Rick's Pick: Rebels 35 Sooners 10
Illinois is 6-1, with the only loss a 21-7 defeat at Penn State. There's no comparison between Oregon's offense and that of the Nittany Lions, so expect the score to be even more lopsided. Oregon is aware that remaining unbeaten gets them closer to a national championship, so they should be well-prepared after last Friday's 35-0 laugher at Purdue.
Only two teams have scored more than 14 points against the Ducks, Boise State and Ohio State, and Oregon won those by narrow margins.
The Illini will need an enormous effort from their defense if they hope to cash in an upset. Doable, but unlikely.
Coin Flip: Illinois
Fearless Rick's Pick: Ducks 33 Fighting Illini 20
Stick with the undefeated Mormons and QB Jake Retzlaf to get to 8-0.
Coin Flip: BYU
Fearless Rick's Pick: Cougars 34 Knights 21
While the Tide is a perfect 4-0 at home this season, their wins over Georgia (41-34) and South Carolina (27-25) have not been convincing.
Missouri has something Alabama lacks: a defense, and that will be the determining factor in another troubling upset.
Coin Flip: Alabama
Fearless Rick's Pick: Tigers 26 Crimson Tide 24
Let's face it, the Commodores may not be national championship quality, but they are capable of winning any time they take the field. The likelihood of a Vandy victory is quite high here. The points are a bonus.
Coin Flip: Vanderbilt
Fearless Rick's Pick: Commodores 31 Longhorns 30
As unlikely as it may seem, the disgraced Seminoles would love to put a hurting on their in-state rivals. Freshman QB Brock Glenn has two starts under his belt and may find some holes in the Miami defense. Not to say that Florida State can win this game - though they might - it's useful to point out that despite their 1-6 record, no team has beaten them by 21 points and that they can score on Miami's defense. Everybody else has.
Coin Flip: Miami
Fearless Rick's Pick: Hurricanes 28 Seminoles 21
Now, the Wisconsin defense may be improved since September, but so is the Penn State offense and they're motived to stay undefeated. This is a big game for both squads, but bigger for the Nittany Lions and they should rise to the occasion in a low-scoring slugfest, typical of the Big Ten.
Coin Flip: Wisconsin
Fearless Rick's Pick: Nittany Lions 27 Badgers 14
A second loss would hurt either of their chances but not rule out making the post-season field of 12. Maybe the coin flip will get this one right.
Coin Flip: Texas A&M
Fearless Rick's Pick: Aggies 30 Tigers 27
Oddly enough, Duke is also quietly 6-1, last week knocking off Florida State, 23-16. The Blue Devils' lone loss was a 24-14 defeat at Georgia Tech. Arguably, the Mustangs have faced better competition, beating Nevada, TCU, and Louisville, their only loss an 18-15 heart-breaker at BYU. SMU has a solid blend of offense and defense, good enough to score plenty and keep the Devils out of the end zone.
Coin Flip: SMU
Fearless Rick's Pick: Mustangs 31 Blue Devils 16
This is a big rivalry game in which many of the players know each other and may have actually played together in high school. Kansas can keep this close and possibly spring the upset.
Coin Flip: Kansas State
Fearless Rick's Pick: Jayhawks 26 Wildcats 24
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Fearless Rick & Coin Flip Week 8 College Picks
Week 7 Results: Rick: 9-6; Flip: 8-7
All Times Eastern
Friday, October 18
8:00 pm 2 Oregon (-28.5, 60) at Purdue (FOX) - This could be somewhat of a sad affair. Oregon comes off its biggest win of the season, a 32-31 win over Ohio State. The Ducks have to avoid a letdown after an emotional win, but the Boilermakers need to avoid being blown out, like they did against Notre Dame in September (66-7), or at Wisconsin a few weeks ago, 52-6.
Purdue has one win, over Indiana State, has lost five straight since then and is 0-3 in Big Ten action. The big change in last week's double-overtime loss to Illinois, was redshirt freshman Ryan Browne replacing Hudson Card at QB. Browne was 25-37, for 365 yards and three TDs with no picks.
With the Ducks on the road, a confident young QB for Purdue, maybe the homies can keep it close?
Coin Flip: Oregon
Fearless Rick's Pick: Ducks 38 Boilermakers 20
6-0 BYU is roaring through the Big 12, last week busting up Arizona, 41-19. The way the Cowboys are playing, they'll be lucky to score more than one touchdown.
Coin Flip: Oklahoma State
Fearless Rick's Pick: Cougars 34 Cowboys 13
12:00 pm 6 Miami (-5, 59.5) at Louisville (ABC) - Miami's gaudy 6-0 record may be in jeopardy as they visit Louisville. The Hurricanes' last two wins have been too close for comfort, 38-34 over a stubborn Virginia Tech squad, and last week, a 39-38 win over Cal was hardly convincing.
Louisville needs a win to stay in the hunt for a shot at the ACC Championship game and knocking off the Hurricanes would be just the tonic for them. Their two losses were to Notre Dame (31-24) and SMU (34-27), losing by a TD in each game against high quality opposition gives the impression that the Cardinals may be up and ready for the challenge.
Coin Flip: Miami
Fearless Rick's Pick: Cardinals 34 Hurricanes 31
While Clemson is 5-1, they haven't really played any good teams since their opening weekend, 34-3, loss to Georgia. Beating up on NC State, Stanford, Florida State and Wake Forest isn't getting them any bonus points. Look for Virginia to hang tough with heady play on defense and maybe pull of a stunner.
Coin Flip: Virginia
Fearless Rick's Pick: Tigers 31 Cavaliers 26
The Cornhuskers only loss was to Illinois, 31-24, in overtime, on September 20, which seems like a lifetime ago. They've had an extra week off in preparation for this game and appear to be on the improve.
Coin Flip: Indiana
Fearless Rick's Pick: Cornhuskers 23 Hoosiers 18
Missouri recovered from their 41-10 beating at Texas A&M, taking out their frustration on the Minutemen of UMass, 45-3. They should be good to go in this all-Tigers meeting.
Coin Flip: Missouri
Fearless Rick's Pick: Missouri Tigers 31 Auburn Tigers 17
They are scary good and possibly the best bet of the weekend.
Coin Flip: East Carolina
Fearless Rick's Pick: Black Knights 48 Pirates 10
That said, this looks to be a very even match-up between two very likely playoff competitors.
Both teams are 5-1 and 2-1 in the SEC, so this is a huge game. The Volunteers deserve the nod, getting points at home. While their offense may not be as good as advertised, the defense comes to play every week.
The last time these two met in Knoxville, Hendon Hooker and Jaylin Hyatt went off in a wild, 52-49 Tennessee win.
Coin Flip: Tennessee
Fearless Rick's Pick: Volunteers 31 Crimson Tide 27
The Irish are 5-1, the only loss an inexplicable upset to Northern Illinois. Wins over Texas A&M (23-13) and Louisville (31-24) stamp Notre Dame as a serious contender for the playoffs, but another loss might count them out, just as Georgia Tech may sense a win at home over a ranked opponent might put them back in play. The way college football has panned out this season, with no truly dominant teams week to week, the points look pretty juicy.
Coin Flip: Georgia Tech
Fearless Rick's Pick: Yellow Jackets 26 Fighting Irish 21
Coin Flip: Michigan
Fearless Rick's Pick: Fighting Illini 27 Wolverines 24
LSU comes off a very solid, 29-26 OT win over Ole Miss, making them 5-1 and 2-0 in the SEC. The only loss of the season came in the Tigers' opener, a 27-20 defeat at the hands of the USC Trojans. LSU took a big step forward last week and should maintain their winning attitude in a tough road test.
Coin Flip: LSU
Fearless Rick's Pick: Tigers 24 Razorbacks 17
With the game at Texas, the Longhorns can cement their claim to SEC stardom. If any team this year is dominant, it is Texas. In their six victories without a loss, the smallest margin of victory has been 19 points (31-12 at Michigan). Thy just blow people away and should gore the Bulldogs, but good.
Coin Flip: Georgia
Fearless Rick's Pick: Longhorns 34 Bulldogs 21
West Virginia is a good team, but they don't measure up to the elite in the conference. Losses to Penn State (34-12), Pitt (38-34) and last week's 28-16 loss to Iowa State demonstrates that they are middle of the road.
Coin Flip: West Virginia
Fearless Rick's Pick: Wildcats 31 Mountaineers 21
Fearless Rick & Coin Flip Week 7 College Picks
All Times Eastern
Week 6 Results: Rick: 7-7; Flip: 2-12
Friday, October 11
8:00 pm Northwestern at Maryland (-11, 45.5) (FS1) - This is really a throwaway game. Neither team is expected to reach the playoffs much less win six games and be bowl eligible. It's here because it's on FS1 and a Friday night game.
Both teams lost to Indiana recently, Northwestern, 41-24, at home; Maryland, 42-28, at IU. Does that make Maryland 11 points better? Probably not.
Coin Flip: Northwestern
Fearless Rick's Pick: Terrapins 27 Wildcats 24
Word has it that Rising will start, but how effective he will be on the road after a month on the sidelines is still uncertain, though Rising is 2-0 against the Sun Devils, winning, 35-21, in 2021, and 34-13 in 2022. Rising was inactive in Utah's 55-3 thumping of AZST last season.
For its part, Arizona State seems to be game, their only loss was to Texas Tech, 30-22. Otherwise, wins over Mississippi State (30-23) and Kansas (35-31) look pretty good.
Coin Flip: Arizona State
Fearless Rick's Pick: Sun Devils 24 Utes 21
12:00 pm South Carolina at 7 Alabama (-21, 50.5) (ABC) - The Tide got rolled by Vanderbilt last week, 40-35, knocking them down from #1 to #7 in the latest poll.
The Gamecocks have the unenviable task of trying to inflict a second straight loss on Alabama, something that's unheard of anywhere south of the Mason-Dixon line. Seeing that Lanorris Sellers and the South Carolina offense could only muster up a field goal in a 27-3 home loss to Ole Miss last week, heading into Tuscaloosa looks like a death sentence.
These two last met in 2019. The result: Alabama 47 South Carolina 23. Could be more of the same, maybe worse.
Coin Flip: South Carolina
Fearless Rick's Pick: Crimson Tide 42 Gamecocks 10
The win by the Huskies should inspire confidence and the program looks to be well balanced. Iowa remains challenged offensively which negatively affects their defense. Leaning heavily toward the visitors continuing to make their case for playoffs down the road.
Coin Flip: Iowa
Fearless Rick's Pick: Huskies 23 Hawkeyes 10
The last time the Demon Deacons beat the Tigers was in 2008, by a 12-7 score, so history is not on their side. Lay the points because Clemson is in solid, mid-season form and likely headed to the ACC championship game and beyond.
Coin Flip: Clemson
Fearless Rick's Pick: Tigers 44 Demon Deacons 17
5-0 Texas has beaten every team handily, the closest margin was 19 points in their win over Michigan, 31-12, so, it's safe to assume they're the real deal and they've won the last three with backup QB Arch Manning running the offense. This week Quinn Ewers returns, so it may be a long day for Sooners' fans and defenders.
No team has scored more than 13 points on the Longhorns or held them to under 31.
Coin Flip: Texas
Fearless Rick's Pick: Longhorns 38 Sooners 17
As boring as this game may be, USC can do better and may expose the Lions as lambs.
Coin Flip: USC
Fearless Rick's Pick: Trojans 23 Nittany Lions 20
Notre Dame hasn't exactly been overpowering anybody this season (other than Purdie, 66-7), but they're cruising towards a playoff spot if they don't mess up what looks to be a pretty easy schedule. They were last seen 9/28, topping Louisville, 31-24. Not sure they can win by 24.
Coin Flip: Stanford
Fearless Rick's Pick: Fighting Irish 31 Cardinal 17
At 3-2, Cal is looking for its first ACC win. They've lost to Florida State, 14-9, and last week, fought tooth and nail with Miami, only to surrender a tough, 39-38, home loss. They may be good enough to pull off the upset.
Coin Flip: Pittsburgh
Fearless Rick's Pick: Golden Bears 26 Panthers 24
BYU QB Jake Retzlaff has to avoid interceptions. If he does the 5-0 Cougars could cruise to another victory.
Coin Flip: Arizona
Fearless Rick's Pick: Cougars 31 Wildcats 14
This time the Gators are on the road against another quality foe, but the Vols just don't appear to be exactly on top of their game, and the quality of freshman QB Nico Iamaleava hasn't been that good (7 TDs, 2 INTs, 8 Sacs). The Vols lost at Arkansas last week, proving they may be overrated. Florida may not win this game, but they have won two straight and should make this one closer than the line indicates.
Coin Flip: Florida
Fearless Rick's Pick: Volunteers 27 Gators 20
Most of the best athletes for the Buckeyes are on offense, and, to be honest, Oregon's defense doesn't really impress. Neither team has played any significant opponent, except that Ohio State's win last week over Iowa, 35-7, was pretty impressive as compared to Oregon's 37-34 win over Boise State in Week 2.
Coin Flip: Ohio State
Fearless Rick's Pick: Buckeyes 31 Ducks 24
By comparison, LSU won at South Carolina, 36-33, in a game many believe the Gamecocks got robbed by the refs. It would be nice to think that this game would be competitive, but LSU's four wins came against Nicholls, S. Carolina, UCLA, and South Alabama, not exactly a powerhouse lineup.
Coin Flip: Ole Miss
Fearless Rick's Pick: Rebels 34 Tigers 14
The Mountaineers are only three-point dogs at home, maybe due to their last two wins, over Kansas and Oklahoma State, but, prior to those victories, losses at Pitt (38-34) and Penn State (34-12) tell a different story. At 3-2, West Virginia looks to be outclassed by the Cyclones.
Coin Flip: West Virginia
Fearless Rick's Pick: Cyclones 41 Mountaineers 24
Where Colorado is deficient is on defense, and the Wildcats may be able to control the clock with their patient offense and good mix of run and pass.
Coin Flip: Kansas State
Fearless Rick's Pick: Wildcats 34 Buffaloes 27
Fearless Rick & Coin Flip Week 6 College Picks
All Times Eastern
Week 5 Results: Rick: 6-8; Flip: 5-9
Cumulative: Rick: 32-45; Flip: 40-37
Friday, October 4
9:00 pm Michigan State at 6 Oregon (-23.5, 52.5) (FOX) - The Spartans have lost two straight: 23-19 at Boston College and 38-7, last week at home to Ohio State.
4-0 Oregon continues to improve, winning their last two games by convincing margins, although the competition was suspect (Oregon State, 49-14; UCLA, 34-13). This appears to be a very uncompetitive affair unless Oregon makes grievous errors.
Coin Flip: Oregon
Fearless Rick's Pick: Ducks 45 Spartans 14
At UNLV, QB Matthew Sluka redshirted himself after three games, leaving Jajj-Malik Williams the starter last week against Fresno State. All Williams did was throw three TDs and runs for 119 yards in a 59-14 blowout of Fresno State, setting up an interesting match-up on Friday night.
Coin Flip: UNLV
Fearless Rick's Pick: Orange 30 Rebels 27
12:00 pm UCLA at 7 Penn State (-27.5, 46.5) (FOX) - A sleeper for the national championship, the Nittany Lions appear to be properly ranked among the best in the country, with four convincing wins, the latest a 21-7 triumph over the Fighting Illini.
The Bruins have experienced a rough ride thus far. After a 16-13 win at Hawaii, three straight losses, by large margins, to Indiana, LSU, and Oregon. Penn State's defense may keep them out of the end zone for the full 60 minutes.
Coin Flip: UCLA
Fearless Rick's Pick: Nittany Lions 41 Bruins 6
While the Tigers had to go to overtime to defeat Vanderbilt on 9/21, they managed, and have had an xtra week to work out any issues. The Aggies opened their 2024 campaign with a 23-13 loss to Notre Dame, but have won four straight since, the latest a 21-17 tussle over Arkansas.
This should be tight until the end.
Coin Flip: Missouri
Fearless Rick's Pick: Tigers 27 Aggies 24
Both teams can light it up. SMU's 66-43 win over TCU and last week's 42-16 rout of Florida State stamped them as a serious contender in the ACC.
Coin Flip: Louisville
Fearless Rick's Pick: Mustangs 48 Cardinals 35
Ohio State may be 4-0 and their average margin of victory 42 points, but they've played Akron, Western Michigan, Marshall, and Michigan State. Iowa's defense is stout and the Buckeyes may find it difficult to sustain drives. If Iowa can muster up two TDs, they may find themselves alive come the 4th quarter.
Coin Flip: Iowa
Fearless Rick's Pick: Buckeyes 24 Hawkeyes 14
Oddsmakers say the Bulldogs can win this by more than three TDs. Others may have different opinions
Coin Flip: Georgia
Fearless Rick's Pick: Bulldogs 34 Tigers 26
South Carolina comes in off a 50-7 blowout of Akron on 9/21, after losing a heartbreaker to LSU, 36-33, a game many believe was the result of some questionable calls by the refs. The Gamecocks will be jacked for this having already pounded Kentucky, 31-6, earlier. Plus, Lannoris Sellers is expected back at QB for SC.
Coin Flip: South Carolina
Fearless Rick's Pick: Gamecocks 28 Rebels 24
Clemson should run roughshod over this overrated bunch of crybabies.
Coin Flip: Florida State
Fearless Rick's Pick: Tigers 54 Seminoles 14
The Vols proved they could go toe to toe with just about anybody when they last hit the field two weeks ago, winning at Oklahoma, 25-15. This being the SEC, nothing comes easy, and a two touchdown win by the Vols appears to be a formidable task.
Coin Flip: Arkansas
Fearless Rick's Pick: Volunteers 34 Razorbacks 27
4-1 Michigan doesn't offer much in the passing department, so if Washington can contain their run game and produce some short possessions, their offense could come alive. Mainly, this appears to be headed for a close, low-scoring affair. Michigan struggled to hold on against USC and Minnesota their last two outings, scraping by with a pair of 27-24 wins.
Coin Flip: Michigan
Fearless Rick's Pick: Huskies 21 Wolverines 17
Minnesota has had trouble keeping drives alive, and, while USC's defense isn't special, they are probably good enough to limit the Gophers scoring opportunities.
Coin Flip: USC
Fearless Rick's Pick: Trojans 34 Golden Gophers 16
Iowa State has only allowed 29 points in their four wins without a loss, and 19 of those were to Iowa, in a 20-19 victory that elevated their national profile. Last week's 20-0 win at Houston was a defensive masterpiece.
Coin Flip: Baylor
Fearless Rick's Pick: Cyclones 38 Bears 20
Miami was less than impressive in their 38-34 win over Virginia Tech last Friday night, but that's now ancient history and Cam Ward and his pals should be able to hit pay dirt on multiple possessions.
Coin Flip: Miami
Fearless Rick's Pick: Hurricanes 35 Golden Bears 21
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