Week 8 SEC Picks and College Football Best Bets
By Evan Ertel
No. 14 Utah @ No. 18 USC (-7) (O/U 56)
Evan: USC got punched in the mouth last week, what a treat. Utah is a really physical team and I don’t think Lincoln Riley can get his Trojans off the mat. I’d like the Utes a LOT more if it was in Utah. Utah +7
Justin: Utah is great defensively, but with Cam Rising still questionable, I can’t step out on a limb and choose the Utes on the road. USC: -7
Ethan: I have very big questions about how good USC actually is. We’ve seen Lincoln Riley’s team play some very unserious football as of late and the Utes are stout on the defensive side of things. Give me Utah pulling off a fascinating (and low-scoring) road upset here. Utah +7
Andrew: Here’s a little secret…USC’s defense isn’t as bad as you think. They’ve actually been mostly mediocre this year, which is a huge improvement from last season. And the blowout to Notre Dame was almost entirely on the offense. Utah’s offense has been horrendous without Rising, and I doubt he’s back. I don’t think they suddenly light it up, even against USC. And I don’t think a Lincoln Riley offense is that bad two games in a row. USC -7
Ryan: USC showed last week that they can be punched in the mouth by a good defense and not really do much. Utah’s defense is one of the best in the country and is just a tough team in general. I think USC gets the win but I believe Utah is going to give them all they can handle and it comes down to the wire. Utah +7
John: Utah is pretty much the only team in the PAC-12 that plays defense. I think USC is good and Caleb Williams might be an excellent QB, but I’m not sure they can cover the spread. Utah +7