College football picks: Can Alabama win as an underdog? – cleveland.com
COLUMBUS, Ohio — Can Nick Saban win as an underdog?
For the first time in 72 games, since facing Urban Meyer’s Florida Gators in the 2009 SEC Championship, Saban’s Alabama Crimson Tide opened as an underdog this week. The No. 13 Tide is still a 2-point underdog going to No. 8 Georgia.
You may remember that Alabama won that last game as an underdog over Meyer and the Gators. Among our pickers, five went with Alabama to figure it out this week on the road.
If you’re unsure of who to trust, go with the readers, as they continue to dominate our Cleveland.com brilliance, with a reader winning going away last week.
Here are the standings from last week’s picks:
• Reader Dennis Healy 19-2
• Ari 17-4
• Bill 17-4
• Reader Richard Bruns 16-5
• Reader Pam Kaler 16-5
• Doug 14-7
Now, the rest of the overall standings:
Teams
Led by the huge week from Dennis, Team Bill vaulted back into the lead, with Team Ari still bringing up the rear. Pam tried, but she couldn’t save Team Doug from a fall after my terrible picks.
• Team Bill 120-40
• Team Doug 117-43
• Team Ari 115-45
Readers vs. Us
We are getting drubbed. The readers extended their lead to double digits.
• Readers 181-59
• Cleveland.com 171-69
Introducing this week’s pickers …
First-place Team Bill welcomes Russell Windsor from Atlanta, who can be found on Twitter @RussellWindsor.
Team Doug is joined by the mysterious TA from Pepper Pike who wouldn’t give up more than his initials. He’s on Twitter @ClevTa.
And Team Ari hopes to be salvaged by Matt Borngen of Berea who hangs out on Twitter @borney25.
The picks:
Ohio State at Indiana
Indiana: Doug
Ohio State: Ari, Bill, Russell, TA, Matt
Michigan at Maryland
Michigan: Everyone
Purdue at Michigan State
Michigan State: Everyone
Minnesota at Northwestern
Northwestern: Ari, Doug, Bill, Matt
Minnesota: Russell, TA
Iowa at Wisconsin
Wisconsin: Everyone
Army at Penn State
Penn State: Everyone
Nebraska at Illinois
Nebraska: Everyone
Houston at Tulsa
Houston: Everyone
Pitt at Virginia Tech
Pitt: Doug, TA, Matt
Virginia Tech: Ari, Bill, Russell
Louisville at N.C. State
Louisville: Ari, Doug, Bill, TA
N.C. State: Russell, Matt
Texas at TCU
TCU: Everyone
West Virginia at Oklahoma
Oklahoma: Everyone
Texas Tech at Baylor
Baylor: Ari, Doug, Bill, Russell, TA
Texas Tech: Matt
Alabama at Georgia
Georgia: Doug
Alabama: Ari, Bill, Russell, TA, Matt
Kansas State at Oklahoma State
Kansas State: Doug
Oklahoma State: Ari, Bill, Russell, TA, Matt
Ole Miss at Florida
Ole Miss: Ari, Doug, Russell, TA, Matt
Florida: Bill
Mississippi State at Texas A&M
Texas A&M: Ari, Doug, Bill, Russell, TA
Mississippi State: Matt
Arizona State at UCLA
UCLA: Everyone
Notre Dame at Clemson
Clemson: Doug, TA, Matt
Notre Dame: Ari, Bill, Russell
Arizona at Stanford
Stanford: Everyone
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