Long gone are the days of a top college football prospect sitting in a high school gymnasium and putting on the hat of the school that he is committing to. The top football recruit for 2025 is quarterback Bryce Underwood, who has already committed to LSU. But he is from Michigan, and reportedly the Wolverines offered him a $10.5 million NIL offer to switch his commitment.
In this age of Instagram, naturally Underwood used the social media platform to clarify his position at LSU, posting: “#1 QB likely to decline Michigan’s $10.5M NIL offer.” The post has since been deleted, so this story doesn’t appear to be over just yet.
No. 22 LSU (-4) at Florida
You can’t blame LSU if they are hyper-focused on keeping Bryce Underwood as the cornerstone of their future. Their present is sinking fast after two straight losses in the SEC, knocking them out of the College Football Playoff.
They lost at Texas A&M and were blown out at home by Alabama, and now what should have been an easier win at Florida becomes far more uncertain. LSU is just 3-6 against the point spread this season, while Florida is 5-4 ATS.
No. 1 Oregon (-13.5) at Wisconsin
This season has gone exceedingly well for Oregon as a first-time Big Ten participant. They have yet to lose a game, they are currently the top seed in the College Football Playoff rankings, and they have rarely been tested. The Ducks have four straight wins of at least 20 points, and seven of their 10 wins have been by three touchdowns or more.
One thing they will have to watch out for is complacency on the road at the end of a tough Big Ten season. November games in Madison, Wisconsin can be tricky. In each of the last four years, Wisconsin has at least one home November win as the underdog.
No. 2 Ohio State (-28.5) at Northwestern
With a point spread of more than four touchdowns, Saturday’s visit to Northwestern is just a final tuneup for Ohio State before they get to the most important stretch of the season. After this week is over, the Buckeyes will have undefeated Indiana at home, and then they host Michigan. And if all goes well for Ohio State, they will then get a rematch with Oregon for the Big Ten title.
Ohio State is a shoe-in to win at Northwestern. But with point spreads of more than 20 points this season, they are just 3-3 against the spread.
No. 3 Texas (-12) at Arkansas
It feels wrong to call the No. 3 team in the country that has just one loss on the season overrated. But that’s where we are with Texas. They haven’t beaten a single team that is in the top-25. Yes, Michigan was ranked when Texas beat them. But that Michigan win, which looked good in September, is very ho-hum two months later.
Arkansas is unranked, has four losses, and the last time we saw them, they gave up 63 points to Ole Miss. However, they did beat Tennessee, so they aren’t a total pushover. A win for the Longhorns won’t move them up and get them in anyone’s eyes. But it should keep them in position for a first-round bye in the CFP.
Kansas at No. 6 BYU (-2.5)
Bookmakers and college football bettors have continued to doubt BYU this season, making them underdogs in four of their nine games. With a perfect 9-0 record, BYU has more than answered their critics. The Cougars, along with being 4-0 when picked to lose, are 3-2 against the spread as the favorite.
They keep winning, and if they keep winning into December, they are going to be a top four team in the College Football Playoff. Pretty impressive for a team that didn’t make it into the AP Top-25 until after the fifth week of the season.
BYU is a modest 2.5-point favorite against Kansas, and this could be a tricky game for BYU. Kansas is only 3-6 on the season, but they just beat Iowa State, and the Jayhawks have covered the spread in three straight games.
No. 7 Tennessee at No. 12 Georgia (-9.5)
This is a last CFP gasp for Georgia, who are coming off a huge loss last week at Mississippi. A loss to Tennessee eliminates them completely, while a win would keep them alive. Not only would a win over Tennessee be a second signature win in four weeks (they beat Texas October 19), it would damage the Volunteers, who are ahead of them by five spots in both the AP rankings and CFP rankings.
For Tennessee, if they go on the road and beat Georgia, that win and their win over Alabama makes it almost a certainty that they would be in the CFP and hosting a first-round game.
No. 13 Boise State (-14) at San Jose State
The fly in the ointment for all of the big conference hopefuls above them in the standings is Boise State. They are the highest-ranked Group of Five team, and that means they get an automatic bid to the College Football Playoff. And that means that even if the teams above them keep winning, all the Broncos have to do is take care of business in the Mountain West.
They are favored by two touchdowns this week, and they will be heavy favorites at Wyoming and home against Oregon State to close out the regular season.
Utah at No. 17 Colorado (-11)
Fly in the ointment Part II is the Colorado Buffaloes, who could still be Big 12 champions and get their own automatic bid to the College Football Playoff. If they do win out, and BYU finishes with just a single loss (presumably to Colorado in the Big 12 championship), then the Big 12 may get multiple teams in the CFP.
So don’t be shocked if the Big Ten and SEC are big Utah fans this Saturday,
With over 25 years of experience as a distinguished sports writer for renowned platforms such as Fox Sports and ESPN, Kyle Garlett is a sports betting specialist who has been at the forefront of documenting the global surge in sports betting and online gaming. Based in Denver, Colorado, Kyle hosts an NFL betting YouTube show and podcast. Kyle also has two sports books published by HarperCollins.
Kyle graduated the Azusa Pacific University in 1996 with a B.A. Degree in Communication and Journalism.
