PASADENA, CALIFORNIA – JANUARY 1: Wide receiver Charlie Becker #80 of the Indiana Hoosiers catches a pass against the Alabama Crimson Tide during the first half of College Football Playoff Quarter Final Game at Rose Bowl Stadium on January 1, 2026 in Pasadena, California. (Photo by CFP/Getty Images)
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It will be an interesting day across college football, especially down south (more on why later). There are exactly two top 25 matchups. One definitely moves the needle. There other one….not so much. There are a couple of teams on upset witch and some games you really have to be a fan or be invested (one way or another) to watch.
Caesars Sportsbook has us covered.
There’s a hurricane making landfall near the Florida-Alabama border. First and foremost that’s if you who are down there be safe. Beyond everyday lives college football may be affected.
LINCOLN, NEBRASKA – SEPTEMBER 12: Mekhi Nelson #13 of the Nebraska Cornhuskers runs from Kal-El Pascal #0 of the Bowling Green Falcons during the first half at Memorial Stadium on September 12, 2026 in Lincoln, Nebraska. (Photo by Steven Branscombe/Getty Images)
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Indiana (-7.5) at Nebraska
Saturday Noon
The Hoosiers look to continue the march towards the CFP with a trip to Nebraska. Long gone are the days when national championships went through the Cornhuskers. Especially in today’s climate, not many blue chippers want to make Lincoln home. It’s a shame because for a generation Nebraska was a blue blood. They’re building something there so we will wait and see.
Stat to pay attention to: Since 2015 Nebraska is 1-11 against top ten opponents. They beat a 6th ranked Michigan State squad in 2015 and haven’t won again since. Worse yet, the average margin of defeat is 24.5 points. Indiana is every bit the caliber of the to ten teams Nebraska has faced during that time. I don’t see a four touchdown blowout here but a comfortable cover.
The play: Lay the points and over the 48 point total.
DALLAS, TEXAS – OCTOBER 11: Kaden Helms #18 of the Oklahoma Sooners is tackled by Anthony Hill Jr. #0 of the Texas Longhorns during the second quarter at Cotton Bowl Stadium on October 11, 2025 in Dallas, Texas. (Photo by Sam Hodde/Getty Images)
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Texas (7.5) vs. Oklahoma at the Cotton Bowl
Saturday 3:30 pm
Unpredictable is the theme to this rivalry. You can throw rankings and odds out the window. Since 2015, the betting favorite has lost four times. Three times the winner failed to cover the spread. Five times the spread was covered. What does this all mean? Who knows? It’s the Red River rivalry. Things happen.
Stat to pay attention to: The Sooners are 1-3 against the spread so far in 2026. Their defense kept them in two of those games. Texas is struggling a little offensively. This doesn’t look like a get-right game for Arch Manning and his pals, unless the Sooners called it a season after the whipping Georgia gave them.
The play: Take the points. Oklahoma has to show some pride.
ATHENS, GEORGIA – SEPTEMBER 5: Elyiss Williams #10 of the Georgia Bulldogs goes airborne for a touchdown during the first quarter against the Tennessee State Tigers at Sanford Stadium on September 5, 2026 in Athens, Georgia. (Photo by Todd Kirkland/Getty Images)
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Georgia at Alabama (-1.5)
Saturday 7:30 pm
The biggest game of the weekend may or may not be adversely affected by the storm. By gametime it will have come and gone. Depending on the condition it leaves the state of Alabama in, it’s a toss up on whether it will be played at all. No speculation, so we’ll proceed as usual. The Tide are getting a lot of love from both the polls and the books. They completely overmatched Mississippi State last weekend. It was a callback to the glory days of Nick Saban. Step on a team’s throat early and never let them up. I didn’t think this team had it in them to be a killer. They’ve proven otherwise.
Georgia is on a different level than State so Alabama will be tested. Given the current situation will the Tide be distracted or will they be emotional and focused. That’s a big question. Georgia will have the business trip mentality though.
Stay to pay attention to: Alabama is 8-2 head to head against Georgia. I know, I know it’s college football and the players change. The culture doesn’t however. For whatever reason, Kirby Smart hasn’t quite figured out the Alabama question. On paper, Georgia had the advantage. They are a little bit better. Games aren’t played on paper however they’re played on televaion (shoutout Kenny Mayne).
Prediction: Lay the points and take Alabama. Make no mistake this would be an upset no matter the line.
STATE COLLEGE, PA – SEPTEMBER 5: Zion Tracy #7 and John Klosterman #32 of Penn State Nittany Lions celebrate in the first half of a game against the Marshall Thundering Herd at Beaver Stadium on September 5, 2026 in State College, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Brien Aho/Getty Images)
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Parlay special
LSU (-8.5) at Kentucky – Another game affected by the weather. Kentucky will have trouble against that defense and on a sloppy track, this will be an ugly offensive game. LSU scores enough to cover.
USC at Penn State (-1.5) – Two programs at a crossroads meet to see who can get back in track. I had USC losing to Washington last week as an upset special. The Trojans escaped but didn’t cover the spread. Penn State looks slightly more stable. I’ll go with the Nittamy Lions at home.
Stanford at Notre Dame (-29.5) – This used to be a fun rivalry. Now it’s another cupcake on the Irish schedule. I’m tempted to go with an alternate spread ( around 33.5) but I’ll leave it alone.
This three legger pays +599.
Once again thoughts and good vibes to the people on the Gulf Coast and beyond. You guys got this.
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