"Stanford Steve" Coughlin and Chris "The Bear" Fallica preview Week 5 of the 2022 college football season as only they can, offering their top bets, nuggets and totals worth wagering on.
Records:
The Bear (Last week: 6-0. Season: 17-6-1)
Stanford Steve (Last week: 3-0-1. Season: 7-9-1)
The plays
#18 Oklahoma Sooners (-6.5, 68.5) at TCU Horned Frogs
Stanford Steve: First Big 12 game for Sonny Dykes as head coach of the Horned Frogs off a week where he brought his team to face his old team, SMU, and got an impressive win in Dallas. On the other side, Brett Venables is fresh off his first loss as head man in Norman. The Sooners played their best game of the year in their first road game two weeks ago at Nebraska and then came home to be upset by the pesky Wildcats from Manhattan. This will be a wild game -- high scoring, high energy, big plays and players making plays all over the field. But, when I look at the matchup. I think TCU has the goods to hang around with OU. They have three mobile quarterbacks who can play, and when you think about the Sooners last week, it wasn't the offense that was the problem, it was the defense getting off the field on 3rd downs and making tackles in space. TCU will be a problem and we'll take the home team to cover the points.
Pick: TCU +6.5 (Oklahoma 34, TCU 31)
Iowa State Cyclones (-3, 58) at Kansas Jayhawks
The Bear: Yes, Iowa State has struggled in close games. Yes, the turnover big got them again last week. Yes, the Kansas offense has been fantastic this season. But this will be by far the best defense KU has faced this season and one just gets a sense the KU bubble could burst at any moment, especially in a spot where it has public dog written all over it.
Pick: Iowa State -3
#17 Texas A&M Aggies at Mississippi State Bulldogs (-4, 45)
Stanford Steve: I might be crazy, but I thought the Razorbacks were the better team last week, but they could never get over that turnover by QB, RJ Jefferson and the Aggies rode that momentum and won it late on a missed field goal. This week feels different. The Bulldogs came out last week in a no-nonsense attitude and did what they were supposed to do and bury an inferior opponent, Bowling Green. I bring that up because the Bulldogs let a winnable game get away from them the week previous in Baton Rouge. So, I think the focus is there for State to play well in front of their fans versus a team they beat last year in College Station. It's unfortunate, but I think it's a huge loss for A&M, as stud wide receiver Ainias Smith was hurt last week and will miss the remainder of the season. I think the Bulldogs contain Devon Achane and the Aggies' run game, so I'll take the home team and lay the points.
Pick: Mississippi State -4 (Mississippi State 27, Texas A&M 20)
#7 Kentucky Wildcats at #14 Ole Miss Rebels (-7, 54)
The Bear: Another dream spot for Mark Stoops and the Cats, disrespected and catching points despite that road win at Florida. We probably shouldn't read too much into Ole Miss' scoreless second half last week, but it will need Jaxson Dart to produce, as the Rebels' running game is unlikely to produce a huge game against a very good UK defense.
Pick: Kentucky +7
Records:
The Bear (Last week: 6-0. Season: 17-6-1)
Stanford Steve (Last week: 3-0-1. Season: 7-9-1)
The plays
#18 Oklahoma Sooners (-6.5, 68.5) at TCU Horned Frogs
Stanford Steve: First Big 12 game for Sonny Dykes as head coach of the Horned Frogs off a week where he brought his team to face his old team, SMU, and got an impressive win in Dallas. On the other side, Brett Venables is fresh off his first loss as head man in Norman. The Sooners played their best game of the year in their first road game two weeks ago at Nebraska and then came home to be upset by the pesky Wildcats from Manhattan. This will be a wild game -- high scoring, high energy, big plays and players making plays all over the field. But, when I look at the matchup. I think TCU has the goods to hang around with OU. They have three mobile quarterbacks who can play, and when you think about the Sooners last week, it wasn't the offense that was the problem, it was the defense getting off the field on 3rd downs and making tackles in space. TCU will be a problem and we'll take the home team to cover the points.
Pick: TCU +6.5 (Oklahoma 34, TCU 31)
Iowa State Cyclones (-3, 58) at Kansas Jayhawks
The Bear: Yes, Iowa State has struggled in close games. Yes, the turnover big got them again last week. Yes, the Kansas offense has been fantastic this season. But this will be by far the best defense KU has faced this season and one just gets a sense the KU bubble could burst at any moment, especially in a spot where it has public dog written all over it.
Pick: Iowa State -3
#17 Texas A&M Aggies at Mississippi State Bulldogs (-4, 45)
Stanford Steve: I might be crazy, but I thought the Razorbacks were the better team last week, but they could never get over that turnover by QB, RJ Jefferson and the Aggies rode that momentum and won it late on a missed field goal. This week feels different. The Bulldogs came out last week in a no-nonsense attitude and did what they were supposed to do and bury an inferior opponent, Bowling Green. I bring that up because the Bulldogs let a winnable game get away from them the week previous in Baton Rouge. So, I think the focus is there for State to play well in front of their fans versus a team they beat last year in College Station. It's unfortunate, but I think it's a huge loss for A&M, as stud wide receiver Ainias Smith was hurt last week and will miss the remainder of the season. I think the Bulldogs contain Devon Achane and the Aggies' run game, so I'll take the home team and lay the points.
Pick: Mississippi State -4 (Mississippi State 27, Texas A&M 20)
#7 Kentucky Wildcats at #14 Ole Miss Rebels (-7, 54)
The Bear: Another dream spot for Mark Stoops and the Cats, disrespected and catching points despite that road win at Florida. We probably shouldn't read too much into Ole Miss' scoreless second half last week, but it will need Jaxson Dart to produce, as the Rebels' running game is unlikely to produce a huge game against a very good UK defense.
Pick: Kentucky +7