NCAA: College Football Bold Predictions For Week 4

Last week in this column, we had our best week of the season! I’m giving myself credit for two and a half picks out of five. We correctly called Haynes King and Georgia Tech’s win over Clemson, as well as Vanderbilt’s upset of South Carolina. I was right about Gunner Stockton performing well against Tennessee, but I was wrong about the margin of victory. So that’s half a point. If you have an issue with my scoring, go take it up with the manager (me). Let’s see if we can keep up our hot streak this week!

1. Tulsa shocks the college football world by beating in-state rival Oklahoma State

The last time we saw Oklahoma State, they were getting beaten 69-3 by Oregon. Their starting quarterback is out for the season, and they have serious concerns all over the depth chart. This is enough for me to back the Golden Hurricane and young head coach Tre Lamb to pick up his first signature win at the FBS level.

2. Utah beats Texas Tech by 21 as Devon Dampier inserts his name into the Heisman conversation

If you haven’t heard the name Devon Dampier just yet, I can’t blame you. He spent last season elevating New Mexico to be one of the most exciting offenses in the nation, and now he is the starting quarterback for Utah. He is a true dual-threat who will be able to take Texas Tech by surprise, as the Red Raiders have yet to see anything like what Dampier can do.

3. Jackson Arnold gets his revenge by rushing for 100+ yards and beating Oklahoma

Auburn’s signal-caller Jackson Arnold gets to take on his former team this week. While at Oklahoma, Arnold’s underachievement from his recruiting pedigree drew the ire and boos of many fans, but the supporting cast around him was poor. This week, he has the chance to stick it to them with a much better roster around him than what OU provided last season.

4. Clemson bounces back and beats Syracuse by 30 as Cade Klubnik throws for 350 yards

Sometimes you’re just in the wrong place at the wrong time. Sorry, Syracuse. After what has transpired through the first 3 weeks of the season, Dabo Swinney and Clemson have some demons to exorcise. I expect them to run it up against a lackluster Syracuse secondary, looking to start some positive momentum as they get into their conference schedule.

5. TCU and SMU combine for more than 80 points, the most of the weekend

Remember in the mid-2010s when Big 12 games would come with over/unders in the 70s? This has the feel of one of those games. You have two fast-paced, high-flying offenses and two defenses that do not appear to be the best at defending the pass. This is a recipe for fireworks, and TCU’s Josh Hoover might throw for 400 yards.