Week 1 is in the books and the SHB boys finished for a combined 3-3 record to kick off the season. Week 1 was quite action packed… Colorado is the real deal, Florida State looks scary good and Clemson played the most disappointing game of the Dabo era. Now as we move into Week 2, it’s time to capitalize on overreactions from Week 1. Stock your fridge, enjoy the Texas/Bama fireworks and always remember to bet smarter, not harder.

Q’s Best Bets (After Week 1: 2-1, +0.82 units)

Nebraska @ Colorado – Saturday, 9/9 (12:00 PM EST)
Pick: Colorado -2.5 (-110) (1 unit)

While I’m trying to avoid overreacting to how well the Buffs played in Week 1, I simply can’t resist backing them against a Rhule led Nebraska team at home (Colorado’s home opener). Prime has the boys clicking on all cylinders right now and Travis Hunter has Heisman written all over him if he keeps playing this well BOTH WAYS. Not only did Hunter flash his greatness but we got to watch Prime’s son (Shedeur Sanders) pass for 510 yards and 4 TDs while his other son (Shilo Sanders) led the team in tackles last week. It’s truly a family affair. I could go on and on about the Buffs (4 different WRs with 100+ receiving yards last week is absolutely absurd) but this isn’t purely a fanboy pick. Jeff Sims simply does not look like “the guy” to right the ship at Nebraska… He flashed his rushing ability and completed an impressive TD pass on a broken play at the start of the second half but everything else was pretty much what we grew to expect during his time at Georgia Tech. Sims threw for 3 interceptions, only 114 passing yards and touted a ghastly QBR of 34.9… Those numbers aren’t going to pull this program out of the fire and their woes should only continue playing an away game against Coach Prime in his first home game (sold out home game I might add) at Colorado. Buffs keep this train rollin. Score Prediction: Colorado 31 – Nebraska 20.

Stanford @ USC – Saturday, 9/9 (10:30 PM EST)
Picks: Total Points Over 69.5 (-110) (1 unit) & Zachariah Branch Anytime TD Scorer (+145) (0.5 units)

This take is centered around USC, on both sides of the ball. Caleb Williams and Lincoln Riley’s high flying Trojan offense is by far one of the most electric units in the country. Through just two games USC’s offense is averaging 61 points/game and the combination of their stacked WR room and the incumbent Heisman trophy winner’s magic makes them a nightmare for any defense. That said, the Trojans’ defense has QUITE a bit of room for improvement… There was optimism that USC’s defensive unit would take a large step forward this season but, thus far, just a lot of missed tackles and overall subpar performance. While Stanford may not be an offensive powerhouse, they looked much better against Hawaii in their season opener than expected and this will be the last time this rivalry will be played for the foreseeable future (so expect it to be a good one). I believe USC comes out on top ultimately but this should definitely be a high scoring affair and don’t be surprised to see Stanford make it a game. Score Prediction: USC 45 – Stanford 31.

Zachariah Branch looks like a combination of Tyreek Hill and Ja’Marr Chase… The freshman phenom has caught a TD pass in each of his first two collegiate games and he housed a kickoff for a touchdown in Week 1. Stanford has a solid run defense but they’re susceptible to the passing game and no one moves the ball through the air better than the Trojans right now… Throwing a half unit on Branch to keep his TD streak alive while the odds are still favorable. Prop Prediction: 1 TD.

DPJ’s Best Bets (After Week 1: 1-2, -1.09 units)

Utah @ Baylor – Saturday, 9/9 (12:00 PM EST)
Pick: Utah -7 (-115) (1 unit)

It’s an absolute shame that in their final season of existence (as we know it), the PAC-12 had arguably their best Week 1 showings in years. A big part of that was Utah’s absolute dismantling of Florida. The Utes opened the game with a 70 yard bomb for a TD and didn’t look back, as they rode a 24-3 lead into the 4th quarter and closed out the Gators by two scores. Most folks aren’t expecting Florida to be very good this year, but it was an impressive debut for Utah in this 2023-24 season nonetheless. Utah will look to build on that W with their first road game of the season in Waco, TX this weekend, taking on Baylor. Conversely, the Bears looked dreadful in week 1 as they were embarrassed at home by Sun Belt powerhouse Texas State. Even in a loss, Baylor moved the ball pretty well but that will be a much bigger challenge against a stout Utah defense. The total in this game is under 50 (47.4 to be exact) which is about as low as it gets for a game involving a Big-12 school. I’d expect some serious ball control by Utah on this one and expect it to be over going into the 4th quarter again. Score Prediction: Utah 27 – Baylor 17. 

Texas @ Alabama – Saturday, 9/9 (7:00 PM EST)
Pick: Texas +7 (-110) (1 unit)

This game is simply too tasty to not take any action, right? Right. Two of the biggest brands in college football will square off in primetime on Saturday evening, under the lights in Tuscaloosa. Bama started a little slow against Middle Tenn in week 1 but ultimately blew them out and once again covered a massive week 1 spread. Texas struggled a bit up front in their home opener against…Rice? Allowing a couple sacks against a severely undermatched Rice defense. Suprise suprise, the Crimson Tide will likely put up a better fight than the Owls. Ewers looked solid but I think this game at Alabama is his chance to thrust himself into the forefront of the Heisman conversation and prove that Texas is here to stay for 2023. This one should be a dog fight, I’m going to pick Texas to pull the upset here but more than anything I love getting the seven points. Score Prediction: Texas 31 – Alabama 30.

Arizona @ Mississippi State – Saturday, 9/9 (7:30 PM EST)
Pick: Arizona (+10) (-110) (1 unit)

The Wildcats hit the road for the first time in 2023 with a matchup in Starkville with the Mississippi Bulldogs. These two teams met last year, and it wasn’t pretty. MSU torched Arizona to the tune of 39-17. This however is a different Arizona team. Jedd Fisch continues to build a solid program in Tucson leveraging the transfer portal and NIL deals to quickly repair the program. His name might sound like an auto-generated second baseman’s name from MLB the Show ‘09 but he seems to be the right man for the job at Arizona. This is quite a different offense for MSU compared to the previous regime under Mike Leach (RIP). They run the ball a lot more instead of passing it a zillion times per game. The Wildcats front seven will have to be up to the task to slow them down, and on the offensive side of the ball Jayden de Laura will have to limit his turnovers. The betting stats from Act*on N*twork (no free ads) also lean Arizona’s way. Sharps are hammering Arizona +10 and I will ride with them. I don’t expect the Cats to win, but I think they can keep it within reach. Score Prediction: Arizona 27 – Mississippi State 30 

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