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Against the Spread | Last call on conference championship weekend

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  • 2 min to read
Kentucky Texas Football

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- Last call. Unbuckle. Turn it loose. You can't take it with you. No regrets.

Eric Crawford and I have slogged through 14 weeks of the college football season picking games against the spread. Eric is guaranteed finishing above .500 and could finish with a plus bank account if he wagered conservatively this weekend. (Not his plan.)

I've got work to do on conference championship weekend. I need to nail four of five game to finish with a winning record or have any hope of catching Eric.

Hey, I've done worse.

We'll pick the league title games in Conference USA, the Atlantic Coast, Southeastern Big 12 and Big Ten conferences — and wait for the College Football Playoff reveal Sunday.

WAGERING RECAP

  • Crawford: 3-2 last week. 38-32 on the season, with $1,350 bankroll after starting with imaginary $1,000.
  • Bozich: 2-3 last week, 34-36 on the season with $900 bankroll.

1. Western Kentucky (+4) at Jacksonville State, Friday 7 p.m.

Crawford: $50 on WKU. I know the Hilltoppers just beat Jacksonville State, and that's supposed to make beating them harder this time around. But maybe it means they will beat them again this time around.

Bozich: $300 on Jacksonville State. Yes, the Hilltoppers handled Rich Rodriguez's team last weekend by two points in Bowling Green last Saturday. They shut down the Gamecocks' passing game, limiting the visitors to less than 100 yards and stopping them on third down 11 times in 13 tries. But Jacksonville State has won its last five home games by an average of nearly 23 points.

2. Iowa State (+2.5) vs Arizona State in DFW, Saturday, Noon.

Crawford: This game is a toss up, and I'm betting it like one, with $50 on the favorite, ASU.

Bozich: $25 on Iowa State. I believe Matt Campbell is a terrific coach, who will get his Cyclones in the playoffs.

3. Georgia (2.5) vs. Texas in Atlanta, Saturday, 4 p.m.

Crawford: Georgia won the regular season meeting and is playing a virtual home game in Atlanta. But Georgia also has been inconsistent, and Texas can make a statement. $50 on Texas.

Bozich: $200 on Georgia. Atlanta will be a home game for the Bulldogs. They need a victory to earn a bye in the college football playoffs. They've already handled the Longhorns with ease once. And it wouldn't fit the narrative about the difficulty of winning in the SEC if a team that struggled to dominate the Big 12 won SEC title in its first crack, would it?

4. Clemson (+2.5) vs. SMU in Charlotte, Saturday, 8 p.m.

Crawford: This is another virtual home game for the underdog, but in this case, I think SMU is a good bit better team than Clemson. Don't be fooled by the Tigers' experience on this stage. $600 on SMU.

Bozich: $25 on Clemson. It's a home game for the Tigers, who have played in this game on nearly an annual basis. They're both playing for a spot in the playoffs. Clemson will prevail with its superior running attack. How would it look for the ACC if a first-timer that is not getting any revenue from the league bounced in and won the title?

5. Penn State (+3.5) vs Oregon in Indianapolis, Saturday 8 p.m.

Crawford: Oregon has gotten it done all season, and I think it's straight up the better team over the Nittany Lions. $600 on Oregon.

Bozich: $350. Oregon is country's last unbeaten team with a top 15 offense and a top 10 defense. Moments like this have been too large for coach James Franklin during his time at Penn State. I'll ride with former Trinity and University of Louisville quarterback Will Stein, who directs the Oregon offense.

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