Fearless Rick & Coin Flip Week 7 NFL Picks

Week 6 Results:
Rick: 7-7; Flip: 6-8
Cumulative: Rick: 40-47-5; Flip: 36-51-5

ALL TIMES EASTERN

Thursday, October 17
Denver Broncos (-2.5, 37) at New Orleans Saints, 8:15 pm (Prime Video) - With Derek Carr listed as doubtful, it looks like Spencer Rattler will get his second straight start for the Saints. Rattler was 22-40, for 243 yards, a TD and a pair of picks in a humbling, 51-27 home loss to the Buccaneers, while Denver rookie, Bo Nix, went 19-33, 216, 2 TDs, 1 INT in a 23-16 loss to the Chargers last week.

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

Sunday, October 20

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

Seattle Seahawks at Atlanta Falcons (-3, 51.5), 1:00 pm (FOX) - The Seahawks have lost their mojo, losing three straight after a 3-0 start, including last Thursday's 36-24 home loss to the 49ers.

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

Tennessee Titans at Buffalo Bills (-9, 41), 1:00 pm (CBS) - Now 1-5, the Titans couldn't even hold off the Colts on their own field, losing a 20-17 decision last week. Buffalo squeezed by the Jets, 23-20, in a game marred by penalties and shoddy play from both squads. The wind had as much to do with the result as the refs, so don't hold it against the Bills, who have the lead in the AFC East, but not because they're playing all that well.

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

Cincinnati Bengals (-6.5, 42) at Cleveland Browns, 1:00 pm (CBS) - Cincinnati's defense stepped up in their Sunday night, 17-7 win over the Giants, but they're still not playing the kind of ball that was expected of them. Joe Burrow has appeared average at best, and, while the Browns are not playing well either (1-5), this is a divisional contest and Cleveland gets stud RB Nick Chubb back into the offense.

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

Houston Texans at Green Bay Packers (-3, 47.5), 1:00 pm (CBS) - This should be the best game of the weekend. Both teams are hotter than loaded pistols and in the hunt in their respective divisions. The 5-1 Texans have opened some distance - 2 games - on the Colts, with the Titans and Jags already out of the picture in the AFC South. Green Bay may need the game more, and may be subject to scoreboard watching, as the Lions and Vikings will be playing in the same time slot.

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 Dolphins at Indianapolis Colts (-3, 44), 1:00 pm (FOX) - Miami had a bye last week, which may be helpful in getting their offense on the same page when they travel to Indy for this tilt with the Colts. Joe Flacco has been keeping the Colts in business, but they may get Anthony Richardson back this week.

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

Detroit Lions at Minnesota Vikings (-2.5, 50), 1:00 pm (FOX) - While the Vikings had the week off, the Lions dispatched the Cowboys down in the Lone Star state, 47-9. Both teams are on fire, the Vikings winners of their first five games, the Lions having won three straight, this their sixth conference game of the season.

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

Philadelphia Eagles (-3, 43) at New York Giants, 1:00 pm (FOX) - The Giants offense is pretty banged up, and losing, 17-7, to the Bengals Sunday night doesn't help matters, especially with the Eagles coming off a bye for a visit to the Meadowlands.

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

Las Vegas Raiders at Los Angeles Rams (-6.5, 43.5), 4:05 pm (CBS) - While the Rams are 1-4, the Raiders are just 2-4, their wins a miracle at Baltimore, 26-23, and a 20-16 win over Cleveland at home. Otherwise, they've lost four games by a minimum of 12 points, the last a 32-13 smackdown by the Steelers in Vegas, baby.

Sorry, Raiders, but Aidan O'Connell is not the answer.

Coin Flip: Los Angeles Rams

Fearless Rick's Pick: Rams 27 Raiders 10

Carolina Panthers at Washington Commanders (-7.5, 51.5), 4:05 pm (CBS) - OK, sooner or later, somebody's going to pitch a shutout, and the Commanders are on the cusp of breaking out while the Panthers appear ready to break down, if not already broken with a 1-5 record and Andy Dalton leading the offense.

Coin Flip: Carolina

Fearless Rick's Pick: Commanders 30 Panthers 0

Kansas City Chiefs at San Francisco 49ers (-1.5, 47), 4:25 pm (FOX) - Big time rematch from last season's Super Bowl, which, as we recall, went into overtime.

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

New York Jets at Pittsburgh Steelers (even, 38), 8:20 pm (NBC) - The Jets were a play, or penalty, or missed field goal away from topping the Bills Monday night and have the luxury of being on the road in a short week.

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

Monday, October 21

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

Los Angeles Chargers (-3, 44) at Arizona Cardinals, 9 pm (ESPN+) - Lots of passing, little defense best describes the Arizona season. Sandwiching an unlikely 24-23 win at San Francisco, Arizona lost to Washington, 42-14, and last week were schooled by the Packers at Green Bay, 34-13.

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

Bye: Chicago, Dallas

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Fearless Rick & Coin Flip Week 8 College Picks

Week 7 Results: Rick: 9-6; Flip: 8-7
Cumulative: Rick: 48-59; Flip: 50-56

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

10:15 pm Oklahoma State at 13 BYU (-9.5, 52.5) (ESPN) - The Cowboys have been to too many rodeos it seems and they've dropped three straight, all conference games. Last week's 38-14 blowout loss to West Virginia exposed their weak defense, which has allowed 80 points over the last two games.

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

Saturday, October 19

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

12:00 pm Virginia at 10 Clemson (-21, 57.5) - Don't be fooled by the heavy line. If Clemson really was that good and Virginia that bad, the Tigers would be 28-32-point favorites. Virginia is 4-2, last seen losing at home to Louisville, 24-20, on a late score by the Cardinals.

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

12:00 pm Nebraska at 16 Indiana (-6.5, 50.5) (FOX) - There has been a lot of positive vibes out of Nebraska being 5-1, but the Hoosiers are shockingly 6-0 and leading the Big Ten. The trouble with Indiana is the quality of opposition, of which there's little, their toughest task probably against Maryland, in a 42-28 win a few weeks ago.

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

12:00 pm Auburn at 19 Missouri (-4.5, 50) (ESPN) - Auburn plays everybody tough, but they continue to lose. Now 4-2 after their October 5 31-13 drubbing at Georgia, they're on the road again - and next week, at Kentucky. Now 0-3 in the SEC, the Auburn guys may be burnt out.

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

12:00 pm East Carolina at 23 Army (-16, 51.5) - Army is marching toward the playoffs with a solid 6-0 record, while the Pirates appear to be walking the plank after giving up 55 points to Charlotte last week (55-24). No team has scored more than 14 points against the Black Knights and they have scored 42 or more in four of their six outings.

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

3:30 pm 7 Alabama (-3, 56.5) at 11 Tennessee (ABC) - This game is getting plenty of hype, but the truth is that both teams have issues. Tennessee's offense hasn't lived up to its billing, while Alabama's defense leaves much to be desired. Remember, the Crimson Tide defenders all but blew it in their win over Georgia, giving away a huge lead for a 41-34 victory, and did blow it in their loss at Vanderbilt, a 40-35 no doubter.

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

3:30 pm 12 Notre Dame (-11.5, 50) at Georgia Tech (ESPN) - The 5-2 Yellow Jackets are 4-0 at home, having lost at Syracuse, 31-28, and Louisville, 31-19 and last week winning at North Carolina, 41-34, so they are a proven quantity capable of going toe-to-toe with anybody.

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

3:30 pm 24 Michigan (-3.5, 44.5) at 22 Illinois (CBS) - For what it's worth, Michigan is simply too one-dimensional on offense and if the Illini can keep the Wolverine rushing attack somewhat in check, they have a legitimate chance at overtaking them in the Big Ten standings (Both teams are 2-1 in conference play). Illinois' only loss was at Penn State, and the 21-7 score from that game indicates they are ready for prime time while Michigan may have worn out its welcome.

Coin Flip: Michigan

Fearless Rick's Pick: Fighting Illini 27 Wolverines 24

7:00 pm 8 LSU (-2, 56) at Arkansas (ESPN) - The Razorbacks will compete well with just about any team in the SEC. At 4-2, their only losses were to Oklahoma State, in double overtime, 39-31, and Texas A&M, 21-17. Their defense was very effective unstopping Tennessee two weeks ago, 19-14, and, with the extra time off, they should be ready for the visiting Tigers.

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

7:30 pm 5 Georgia at 1 Texas (-4.5, 56) (ABC) - Honestly, Georgia just hasn't had that championship look this season, though their only loss was at Alabama, a wild, 41-34 contest which the Bulldogs actually rallied from a deep deficit only to lose it late.

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

7:30 pm 17 Kansas State (-3, 55.5) at West Virginia (FOX) - Just draw a line through that 38-9 loss at BYU and the Wildcats have five solid victories, the last one a 31-28 win over an improved Colorado team. The Big 12 is pretty wide open right now, with K-State, BYU, Iowa State, Texas Tech, and Arizona State all looking pretty solid.

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
Cumulative: Rick: 39-52; Flip: 42-49

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

10:30 pm 16 Utah (-4, 45) at Arizona State (ESPN) - Both teams are 4-1 and 1-1 in Big 12 action, but, the Sun Devils are 3-0 at home. The bigger question is whether Cameron Rising will return to actions as the Utes' QB, or will freshman Isaac Wilson be leading the offense again?

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

Saturday, October 12

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

12:00 pm Washington at Iowa (-3, 41.5) (FOX) - Two teams on the periphery of playoffs in a Big Ten match-up. The 3-2 Hawkeyes enter the contest off a 35-7 drubbing at Ohio State, while 4-2 Washington comes in after topping Michigan last week, 27-17, avenging last season's national championship loss to the Wolverines.

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

12:00 pm 10 Clemson (-20, 61.5) at Wake Forest (ESPN) - Is it lunch time? That's the question because Clemson is likely to eat Wake Forest's and leave them crumbs.

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

3:30 pm 1 Texas (-14, 48.5) at 18 Oklahoma (ABC) - Hard to say how good 4-1 Oklahoma is, as their only loss was to Tennessee and they were kept mostly under wraps in a 25-15 loss at home.

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

3:30 pm 4 Penn State (-4.5, 50.5) at USC (CBS) - Despite two losses (Michigan, 27-24; Minnesota, 24-17) the Trojans are only 4.5 point underdogs, and for good reason: the Nittany Lions aren't all that tough and this is a long-trip road game. Penn State was last seen kind of stumbling to victory over a very poor UCLA squad in Happy Valley. Their 27-11 victory wasn't eye-pleasing. Penn State only had 322 yards of offense against a very porous defense.

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

3:30 pm Stanford at 11 Notre Dame (-23.5, 45.5) (NBC) - After beating Syracuse and getting their first ACC victory, 26-24, the Cardinal has been shelled, losing 40-14 at Clemson, and last week, 31-7, at home to Virginia Tech.

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

3:30 pm California at 22 Pittsburgh (-3.5, 58.5) (ESPN) - How good is 5-0 Pittsburgh? Well, they beat Cincinnati by one point, West Virginia by four and North Carolina by 10, so they seem to be improving.

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

4:00 pm Arizona at 14 BYU (-3.5, 49) (FOX) - The Wildcats of Arizona managed to beat Utah, 23-10, a few weeks ago, but losses to Kansas State and Texas Tech throw up some red flags. BYU boasts wins over SMU, Kansas State, and Baylor, all pretty good teams, and they should hold the Wildcats to only a few good scoring attempts.

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

7:00 pm Florida at 8 Tennessee (-14, 57.5) (ESPN) - The two best teams the Gators have faced this season, Miami and Texas A&M, both handled them with relative ease. The Hurricanes blew them out, 41-17, and the Aggies won, 33-20, both games at Florida.

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

7:30 pm 2 Ohio State (-3, 53.5) at 3 Oregon (NBC) - OK, we have #2 at #3, so this could be a playoff preview, though only one of these can win the Big Ten and get a first round bye.

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

7:30 pm 9 Ole Miss (-3.5, 62) at 13 LSU (ABC) - At 5-1, the Rebels look darn good. They avenged their 20-17 loss to Kentucky with a dominant, 27-3, victory over South Carolina and have another road test this week at LSU, which, after losing to USC in their season opener, have won four straight.

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

8:00 pm 11 Iowa State (-3, 53) at West Virginia (FOX) - The Cyclones have been moving up steadily in the polls since their comeback win over Iowa, 20-19, in early September. Since then, they've been dominating on both sides of the ball, last week running up a 43-21 win over Baylor.

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

10:15 pm 15 Kansas State (-3.5, 56.5) at Colorado (ESPN) - Kansas State was thumped, 38-9, by BYU on 9/21, turning the ball over three times and allowing a 90-yard BYU punt return. The week before that, the Wildcats hammered Arizona, 31-7, and, following their loss, ripped Oklahoma State, 42-20. The 4-1 Wildcats should do well against the Buffaloes, also 4-1, and their high energy offense.

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

9:00 pm Syracuse at 25 UNLV (-6.5, 58.5) (FS1) - Somewhat surprising to see 3-1 Syracuse nearly a TD underdog. Their only loss was a 26-24 defeat in the dome to Stanford. Ohio State QB transfer Kyle McCord has put up outstanding numbers (1,459 yards, 14 TDs, 5 INTs).

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

Saturday, October 5

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

12:00 pm 9 Missouri at 25 Texas A&M (-2.5, 48.5) (ABC) - There may be a rash of upsets and close calls in the SEC this week, but this one - with the 4-1 Aggies favored over the 4-0 Mizzou - might just be the first.

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

12:00 pm SMU at 22 Louisville (-6.5, 56.5) (ESPN) - Two quality teams, both 1-0 in the ACC, leads off Saturday's gridiron action. Louisville looks to rebound after a 31-24 loss at Notre Dame, while the Mustangs are probably wondering why they're not ranked, being 4-1, their only loss, 18-15 to BYU three weeks ago.

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

3:30 pm Iowa at 3 Ohio State (-18.5, 45) (CBS) - Don't be fooled by the mammoth line offered here. Iowa, oddly enough, unranked at 3-1, their only loss a one-point defeat at the hands of in-state rival Iowa State, which is ranked #16.

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

3:30 pm Auburn at 5 Georgia (-23, 52) (ABC) - After Auburn's narrow, 27-21 loss to Oklahoma last week, Georgia better bring their best, despite a possible hangover from last week's loss at Alabama.

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

3:30 pm 12 Ole Miss (-9.5, 53.5) at South Carolina (ESPN) - Ole Miss, and especially their offense and QB Jaxson Dart were taken out to the woodshed last week by visiting Kentucky in a 20-17 defeat, proving once again how tough the SEC is.

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

7:00 pm 15 Clemson (-14.5, 46.5) at Florida State (ESPN) - 1-4 Florida State was ranked as high as 10th preseason, but they look like the absolute patsies of the ACC.

Clemson should run roughshod over this overrated bunch of crybabies.

Coin Flip: Florida State

Fearless Rick's Pick: Tigers 54 Seminoles 14

7:30 pm 4 Tennessee (-13.5, 57) at Arkansas (ABC) - Tennessee had better be careful here. The Razorbacks are 3-2, but those two losses were to Oklahoma State, 39-31, in double overtime, and last week a 21-17 loss to Texas A&M, so they're in good company.

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

7:30 pm 10 Michigan at Washington (-2.5, 41.5) (NBC) - Logic would dictate the Huskies slight favoritism despite their 3-2 record. Losses to Washington State and Rutgers were by 5 and 3 points, respectively.

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

7:30 pm 11 USC (-8, 49.5) at Minnesota (BTN) - USC's only loss was at Michigan, 27-24, and last week they dispatched Wisconsin, 38-21, so they appear to be finding offensive fire as mid-season approaches.

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

7:30 pm Baylor at 16 Iowa State (-13, 44.5) - 2-3 Baylor keeps hanging around in games but never seems to quite find the right combinations to win. They're 0-2 in the Big 12, though the defeats haven't been by much, 38-31 at Colorado, and 34-28 against BYU last week. This trip to Iowa is a challenging one.

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

10:30 pm 8 Miami (-10.5, 53.5) at California - The Golden Bears are somewhat of an enigma, managing to go 3-1, with one of the wins at Auburn (21-14), while losing last week at Florida State, 14-9. They would appear to be easy pickings for the 5-0 Hurricanes, despite the cross-country trip they're making.

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