College Football Picks for Week 4

data-mm-id=”_r1chufw2i”>Season Record: Koster: 17-12; Giuffra: 18-11; Phillips: 18-11; McKeone: 17-12Michigan (+3) at WisconsinKoster: WisconsinJim Harbaugh on the road, in a big game? Yeah, I don’t think so. It will be close, but no cigar once again for those in Ann Arbor desperate to believe that this is the savior. Wisconsin 26, Michigan 21Giuffra: WisconsinMichigan has looked like hot garbage at times this year, while Jonathan Taylor and Wisconsin’s ground-and-pound offense has been unstoppable. Yes, it was against lowly opponents, but the same is true of Michigan. At home, I give the Badgers the edge. Wisconsin 30, Michigan 24McKeone: MichiganYes, Michigan has looked terrible, and go on the road to play a tough conference rival. But this is where they turn it around! Michigan 27, Wisconsin 25 Phillips: Wisconsin Michigan looks awful and Wisconsin is rolling behind Jonathan Taylor. He’ll rock The Big House and become a true Heisman Trophy threat this week. Wisconsin 31, Michigan 24 Auburn (+3.5) at Texas A&MKoster: Texas A&MThe Aggies managed to stay within sniffing distance of Clemson already this year, and won’t be intimidated. Plus, they’ll have the home crowd. Auburn was so lucky to beat Oregon and won’t find that magic again. Texas A&M 31, Auburn 24Giuffra: Texas A&MThe Aggies’ defensive line is getting healthy and the Tigers’ offensive line has a couple of injuries. For a running team like Auburn, that’s not good, especially on the road. Texas A&M 34, Auburn 24McKeone: AuburnI believe in Bo Nix. A&M is a good team and hold home-field advantage, but Auburn knows this is a huge game and won’t shy away from the challenge. Auburn 30, Texas A&M 28 Phillips: Texas A&MAt home, I’m taking Texas A&M and its crowd against freshman quarterback Bo Nix. I like Auburn but this will be a huge test for the offense. Texas A&M 34, Auburn 24Oklahoma State (+5) at TexasKoster: TexasThe Cowboys have shown the ability to score, but gave up 36 points against Oregon State, hardly an offensive juggernaut. Sam Ehlinger and the ‘Horns hung 38 on LSU and should have no problem surpassing that mark in a old-fashioned shootout. Texas 51, Oklahoma State 38Giuffra: TexasThis should be a shootout, but Texas is better equipped to win at home having faced much tougher competition in LSU already this season. Texas 41, Oklahoma State 34McKeone: TexasTexas took a tough loss to LSU and is still steaming mad about it. The crowd will get them fired up and the Longhorns will roll. Texas 41, Oklahoma State 30 Phillips: TexasTexas licked its wounds from the LSU loss by blowing out Rice last week. Here, it continues to get right by lighting up the Cowboys at home. Texas 52, Oklahoma State 34Notre Dame (+13.5) at GeorgiaKoster: Notre DameWow, SEC bias much? This line is absurd. I don’t care that Jake Fromm and company have already won at Notre Dame. I don’t care that the Bulldogs have more talent. It’s time to wake up the echoes, baby. Look for some weird turnover luck to set the stage for late heroics. Notre Dame 28, Georgia 24Giuffra: GeorgiaNotre Dame was opportunistic against New Mexico at home last week in a blowout win. But if their defense can’t force turnovers, Georgia’s multi-pronged offensive attack should be able to pick it apart. Georgia 35, Notre Dame 20McKeone: GeorgiaThis will be Jake Fromm’s coming-out party. The Irish are a solid opponent but won’t be able to stop Georgia. Georgia 38, Notre Dame 23Phillips: Georgia is going to prove it belongs in the same conversation as Alabama and Clemson. It’s a big spread, but the Bulldogs can do it at home. Georgia 35, Notre Dame 17Utah (-4) at USCKoster: USCThe Trojans are an unpredictable side. One week they’re crushing Stanford, the next they’re faltering against BYU. Consider the yo-yo. It goes up and down. This week will be inexplicably high for USC. USC 20, Utah 19Giuffra: UtahCan we stop putting USC on here? One week I pick against them and they win. Next week I roll with them and I lose. I can’t stand it! With all the issues swirling around the USC program, I’ll roll with Utah’s stout defense, which already shut down a BYU squad that just beat USC. It’s a risk, because USC is undoubtedly better at home, but I think they’re more who they were against BYU than Stanford. Utah 34, USC 21McKeone: UtahUSC is a disaster this year. Utah isn’t perfect, but they aren’t a disaster. Utah 28, USC 17 Phillips: UtahThe Clay Helton Experience reared its ugly head again on Saturday in Provo as USC snatched defeat from the jaws of victory. Honestly, given his history, Helton could pull out a win on Friday at home, but I just can’t bet on it. The Trojans are an enormous mess. Bet on the boring, but solid Utes. Utah 31, USC 24Air Force (+9) at Boise StateKoster: Air ForceThe thing about Air Force going into Boulder in winning is that they looked like the better team from kickoff to overtime. Same thing here. Air Force 30, Boise State 27Giuffra: Boise StateAir Force just upset Colorado on the road, but two road miracles, especially on the blue turf of Boise State, is asking too much. My only concern is Boise’s ability to score enough to cover, but I’m still rolling with it to cover. Boise State 30, Air Force 20McKeone: Boise StateAir Force can’t muster magic two weeks in a row, and this is still the Boise State team that beat Florida State on their own turf. The blue field will bring them home. Boise State 26, Air Force 15 Phillips: Boise StateStick with the home favorite here. Air Force is due for a regression after upsetting Colorado in Boulder. Boise State 31, Air Force 17Washington (-6) at BYUKoster: BYUThis team is gritty and gutty. Zach Wilson may not like the Mormon Manziel nickname, but it’s an all-timer and the kid is capable of great things while improvising. BYU 26, Washington 17Giuffra: WashingtonTotal transparency, I haven’t seen either team play. But my research tells me BYU is beatable (they almost lost to Tennessee and had to go to overtime against USC at home last week to win). Lay the points, go with the talent and yell at me in the morning. Washington 33, BYU 24McKeone: WashingtonWashington’s offense is good enough and BYU couldn’t beat a USC team in shambles in regulation. Washington 35, BYU 21Phillips: WashingtonThe Pac-12 is straight awful this year, but Washington looks like the class of the conference. The Huskies should be fine this week in a tough environment. Washington 38, BYU 24Michigan State (-7) at NorthwesternKoster: Michigan State.MSU has been favored three straight times against Northwestern and lost them all. It will probably happen again but for my own sanity I can’t even entertain that possibility. MSU 8, Northwestern 0Giuffra: Michigan StateThe Spartans suffered an embarrassing home loss against Arizona State last week. They also lost to Northwestern at home last year and haven’t beaten the Wildcats since 2013. Surely they’re due, right? Michigan State 24, Northwestern 14 McKeone: NorthwesternYeah, I don’t think so. I was firmly in Sparty’s camp and not only did they let me down, it was perhaps the worst display of football these eyes have ever seen. Michigan State will win simply because Northwestern doesn’t have the talent to match up, but it will be just as ugly. Michigan State 13, Northwestern 7Phillips: NorthwesternMichigan State is terrible, there’s no way they beat this spread on the road. Michigan State 17, Northwestern 14SMU (+9) at TCUKoster: SMUNo reason. Just a weird gut feeling looking at a line that makes too much sense. TCU 40, SMU 33Giuffra: TCUThis is a dangerous game because TCU is considering a change at QB. That can either spark a team or sink them. Meanwhile, SMU has steamrolled a bunch of low-level squads. I’ll go with the home team injecting something new into the offense. TCU 38, SMU 27McKeone: SMUThey haven’t faced the best competition, but TCU is in some flux right now with who their signal-caller will be, which generally isn’t a great sign. SMU 21, TCU 17 Phillips: TCU is the better team and playing at home you have to give them the edge here. TCU 35, SMU 21West Virginia (-5) at KansasKoster: KansasRemember that one year where Kansas was really good? One of the weirder things that’s happened this century. Let’s get weird again. Kansas 36, West Virginia 30Giuffra: West VirginiaKansas just earned its first win over a Power 5 team in a long time. But guess what? West Virginia hasn’t lost to Kansas since 2013 and in the five games since, it’s beaten Kansas by double digits each game. West Virginia 40, Kansas 30McKeone: KansasThey just stomped BC at Chestnut Hill and come home to play a WVU team that nearly lost to JAMES MADISON and got stomped by Missouri. It’ll be a shootout, but I’m all Rock Chalk, baby. Kansas 45, WVU 40 Phillips: West VirginiaSorry Les, I can’t give this to you. West Virginia isn’t great but neither are the Jayhawks. I think this will be a horrible game. I’ll take the Mountaineers. West Virginia 31, Kansas 20.