College Football Week 8 Safe Bets

We are back in the green! After a couple of wacky weeks of disappointing finishes, water has found its level. Safe bets is back, and hopefully safer than ever.

Florida(-6) At South Carolina

South Carolina shocked the college football world last week with its upset win at Georgia. Will they do it again? No. When do teams ever pull off back to back major upsets? Really, hardly ever. Even though this game is at home for the Gamecocks, the Gators have too much talent. The best thing South Carolina has going for it is its defensive line. They’ll get their fair share of pressure on Trask, but that vaunted Gators defense will play hungry and have a stellar game, forcing several turnovers. Gators win by two scores.

The Pick: Florida covers

Oregon(-3) At Washington

Oregon needs to win this game to keep their playoff hopes alive. They know it too. Since losing their opening matchup to Auburn, they’ve rattled off 5 wins in a row and have looked good on offense. More notably, they have been great on defense. Coach Mario Cristobal has completely transformed the culture of this program and they get after people on defense. That’s bad news for Huskies QB Jacob Eason. A guy who has all the tools, Eason struggles with the speed of the game at times, especially when there’s a man in his face. Washington has also been way too inconsistent this year on offense for my liking.

The Pick: Oregon covers

West Virginia At Oklahoma(-33.5)

Let me preface this by saying West Virginia will not win this game. As much as the die-hard Longhorn fan in me wants them to, it’s just not happening. However, 33.5 is a huge number. I can very easily see Oklahoma having a bit of a “let down” week after a win in their biggest rivalry game. West Virginia QB Auton Kendall is also an OU transfer, so he may have some gripes to pick. Again, West Virginia won’t win, but they’re not going to lose by 4 scores.

The Pick: West Virginia beats the spread

-Dillon Leary