College Football Odds Week 14: Picks for Top 25 Matchups Based on Vegas Lines
It feels like an eternity since the last college football game was played.
Believe it or not, it's only been four days since the coaching carousel went haywire, mostly thanks to everyone in Tennessee, and just two since the latest College Football Playoff rankings came out.
Friday night marks the start of championship week, where for a few hours we'll get respite from the nonsense of the last week and enjoy the games before we go back to arguing about the decision-making skills of the playoff committee.
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Here's a look at some picks for the biggest games of Week 14 based off the odds from Las Vegas.
No. 7 Miami (FL) vs. No. 1 Clemson (-8)
The cards have continuously piled up against the Miami Hurricanes in the days since their loss to Pittsburgh on Friday.
Since then, the Hurricanes lost tight end Chris Herndon, dropped to seventh in the College Football Playoff rankings and lost wide receiver Ahmmon Richards in practice to a meniscus injury on Wednesday, per Bruce Feldman of Fox Sports and Sports Illustrated:
Losing two offensive weapons in the week leading up to the ACC Championship Game against the defending national champion and current No. 1 team in the country has pushed the odds further against the Hurricanes.
It wouldn't be shocking if the line moved more in Clemson's favor before Saturday's clash in Charlotte, North Carolina, which could lead to some people picking the Hurricanes in the hope that they would cover.
We could sit here and brag to you about all of Clemson's credentials, but by this point in the season, you're quite aware of the resume the Tigers have put together and the collection of talent Dabo Swinney has at his disposal.
There's no doubt the team with four wins over Top 25 teams will receive some sort of test from the depleted Hurricanes, especially with the turnover chain looking for new owners on a national stage.
If the Hurricanes can hold the Tigers to 24 points or fewer, they will have a chance, but that's a difficult task against an offense that has eclipsed the 30-point threshold on eight occasions in 2017.
Prediction: Clemson 34, Miami (FL) 21
No. 6 Georgia vs. No. 2 Auburn (-1.5)
The toughest line to pick in Week 14 might come from the SEC Championship, where Auburn enters with a win over Georgia already this season in addition to its Week 13 triumph over in-state rival Alabama.
But as crazy as it sounds, the SEC tilt may be the toughest to predict of all the championship games with direct implications on the Top Four of the College Football Playoff.
Head coach Kirby Smart isn't going to let the Bulldogs get blown out for the second time this season by the Tigers, and some in the national media are on the same wavelength, like CBS' Brad Nessler, who admitted he thinks Georgia wants Auburn right now, per Auburn 247's Brandon Marcello:
Auburn's done damage to the Top 10 in the last month, but all the destruction has come at Jordan-Hare Stadium.
If the Tigers can complete the season sweep of the Bulldogs at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on Saturday, they will not only be in the playoff, they could be in contention for the No. 1 seed, which seemed completely out of reach a month ago as a two-loss team.
If you bet on the SEC Championship, there's a good chance the team you wager on is the one you want to win the game since the line is so small.
Prediction: Auburn 20, Georgia 17
No. 8 Ohio State vs. No. 4 Wisconsin (+6.5)
If UCF wasn't treated so poorly by the playoff committee, Wisconsin would be hands down the most disrespected team in the country.
The Badgers come into the Big Ten Championship with a 12-0 record, but they're only good enough for the No. 4 ranking, and they enter as a 6.5-point underdog against the Ohio State Buckeyes.
Yes, Wisconsin hasn't exactly played the behemoths of college football each week like Auburn, Clemson and Oklahoma, but it has taken down every single opponent in its path.
Saturday is going to be used by the Badgers as a statement to shut up its remaining skeptics, but you could argue Ohio State has the same mission.
The Buckeyes are involved in all sorts of chaotic hypotheticals in the playoff discussion since they sit all the way down in eighth.
Ohio State has a flawed resume, but when it's shown up to big games, it's taken care of business against Penn State, Michigan State and Michigan.
The biggest question surrounding the Buckeyes ahead of their trip to Indiana involves their starting quarterback, but even if J.T. Barrett can't go, Dwayne Haskins proved against Michigan that he's more than up for the task.
Even with everything going in their favor right now, the Buckeyes seem like too much of a heavy favorite in a game that could come down to the final possession.
Prediction: Ohio State 27, Wisconsin 23
Remaining Top 25 Predictions
No. 3 Oklahoma (-7.5) 41, TCU 24
No. 12 Stanford (+3) 27, No. 10 USC 20
No. 14 UCF 34, No. 20 Memphis 28 (+7.5)
Boise State 35 (-10), No. 25 Fresno State 24
Follow Joe on Twitter, @JTansey90.
All odds obtained from Oddsshark.com.
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