NCAA Week 14 Picks - Early Games
DTMagazine Home
All times Eastern
Week 13 Results: Rick: 9-7; Flip: 6-10
All Times Eastern
Thursday, November 28
7:30 pm Memphis at 17 Tulane (-13.5, 55.5) (ESPN) - The Green Wave of Tulane has had a solid season, but they need to get past Memphis to have any hope of making the top 12 and the playoffs.
With a 7-0 record in the AAC, Tulane is set up to play Army (also 7-0) for the conference championship, so wins in these two games could move them up enough to get the 12 or 11 spot in the polls.
Memphis, 5-2 in the conference and 9-2 overall, can play spoiler with a high-powered offense and gritty defense. Tulane seems to have the edge, scoring 34 or more points in eight of their nine wins. They've held opponents to just nine points total their last three games.
Coin Flip: Tulane
Fearless Rick's Pick: Green Wave 41 Tigers 24
12:00 pm Oregon State at 11 Boise State (-19, 56.5) (FOX) - The Beavers, one of two PAC-12 holdouts (Washington State the other) needs a win to become bowl eligible. They lost five straight before whipping Washington State last week, 41-38.
Boise State is a MWC powerhouse with a 10-1 record. Win or lose, they will play for the conference championship next week and are in position to make the national playoffs. Their only loss was non-conference, a 37-34 defeat at #1 Oregon back in September. The Broncos are 5-0 at home, winning all but one game by 21 or more points (Nevada, 28-21). They have more than enough motivation to roll up on the Beavers.
Coin Flip: Oregon State
Fearless Rick's Pick: Broncos 48 Beavers 21
The Cowboys hav lost eight straight and are 0-8 in conference play. There have been a number of blowout losses, but the Cowboys lost to Utah and BYU by three points and last week took a 56-48 loss to Texas Tech as freshman Maealiuaki Smith got his first start and three for 316 yards, 2 TDs with one pick.
Colorado's defense has been lacking all season. Looks like they can squeak by with a win, though an upset is not out of the question in a track meet kind of affair.
Coin Flip: Oklahoma State
Fearless Rick's Pick: Buffaloes 48 Cowboys 37
Wisconsin (5-6) needs a win for bowl eligibility. Minnesota, already 6-5, can deny them any post-season play by taking back the prized wedge. The Golden Gophers nearly bumped off Penn State last week, losing, 26-25, at home and appear eager to win their fifth conference game.
The Badgers have lost four straight, last week getting pounded at Nebraska, 44-25, as the defense collapsed, the third time this season they've allowed an opponent to score 42 or more points.
Coin Flip: Minnesota
Fearless Rick's Pick: Golden Gophers 24 Badgers 10
Ole Miss missed out on an opportunity to advance by losing at Florida last week, 24-17. Oddsmakers are looking for them to crush their in-state rivals, whose only loss by 26 or more points was to Arkansas, 58-25 and that includes games against Georgia, Texas, Tennessee, and Missouri.
Take the points.
Coin Flip: Ole Miss
Fearless Rick's Pick: Rebels 33 Bulldogs 24
Georgia will play the winner of Saturday's Texas-Texas A&M game in the SEC Championship next week regardless of the outcome of this game.
Already bowl-eligible at 7-4, Georgia Tech is playing for pride and the rivalry. Freshman QB Aaron Philo has breathed new life into the offense and should see extensive action. Tech hasn't beaten the Bulldogs since 2016, but had their best showing last season in a 31-23 loss. They might surprise and are worth a shot with the generous spread.
Coin Flip: Georgia Tech
Fearless Rick's Pick: Bulldogs 27 Yellow Jackets 20
12:00 pm Michigan at 2 Ohio State (-21, 43.5) (FOX) - The only question to be answered here is by how many points the Buckeyes will win. The Wolverines are 6-5, and were beaten by Texas by 19 points, Illinois by 14, and Oregon by 21.
It's a rivalry game, so both teams should be geared up, but Ohio State has buried most of their opponents this season. 38-7 over Michigan State, 35-7 over Iowa, 45-0 over Purdue, 31-7 over Northwestern, and last week, crushing upstart Indiana, 38-15.
Coin Flip: Michigan
Fearless Rick's Pick: Buckeyes 38 Wolverines 10
Vandy has lost their last two, 28-7 to South Carolina, and 24-17 at LSU, but they'll be up for this big rivalry game. Tennessee failed in their last SEC game, losing at Georgia, 31-17, but then taking out their frustrations last week on UTEP, with a 56-0 rout.
Taking the underdog at home isn't a bad move.The Vols need to win to stay in the top 12 and the Commodores know it.
Coin Flip: Vanderbilt
Fearless Rick's Pick: Volunteers 27 Commodores 19
While Clemson has a future in the ACC championship game a loss here could knock them out of the top 12 nationally and open the door for South Carolina as a first 3-loss team.
It doesn't get any bigger for South Carolinians. This game is life, death, and a year's worth of bragging rights or shame.
Coin Flip: Clemson
Fearless Rick's Pick: Gamecocks 31 Tigers 19
All information relating to the content of magazines presented in the Collectible Magazine Back Issue Price Guide has been independently sourced from published works and is protected under the copyright laws of the United States of America. All pages on this web site, including descriptions and details are copyright 1999-2024 Downtown Magazine Inc., Collectible Magazine Back Issue Price Guide. All rights reserved.
Sports Home
Cumulative: Rick: 83-111; Flip: 85-109
Friday, November 29
12:00 pm Oklahoma State at 25 Colorado (-16, 66) (ABC) - Colorado's 37-21 loss at Kansas last week didn't eliminate them from potentially playing for the Big 12 championship next week. The Buffaloes are tied with BYU, Arizona State, and Iowa State at 6-2, but Colorado needs BYU to lose to Houston in order to play for the title.
12:00 pm Minnesota at Wisconsin (-1.5, 38.5) (CBS) - The annual battle for possession of Paul Bunyan's Axe was won by the Badgers in 2023, 28-14, a road win for Wisconsin.
3:30 pm Mississippi State at 14 Ole Miss (-26, 62) (ABC) - The Bulldogs haven't won a conference game this season and they're not likely to get a "W" here.
7:30 pm Georgia Tech at 7 Georgia (-19.5, 54) (ABC) - That's a pretty fat line the boys in Vegas have assigned to the Bulldogs, thinking they may be looking for style points and run up the score against the Yellow Jackets.
Saturday, November 30
12:00 pm 8 Tennessee (-11, 48.5) at Vanderbilt (ABC) - The Vols are in position to make the 12-team playoffs, but they need to be careful against the aggressive upstate Commodores, who have scored their fair share of upsets and close calls this season.
12:00 pm 15 South Carolina at 12 Clemson (-2.5, 49) (ESPN) - Clemson may be #12 at the moment, but the Tigers had best not count their chickens at this point. They are favored by less than a field goal at home against the Gamecocks, who may be the best team in the SEC at this juncture.
