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College football picks: Penn State with a tricky road game, Temple has been money at the Linc

The Michigan-Notre Dame line keeps moving, and LSU has to pass a tricky test before their showdown with Alabama. Our staff picks the weekend's top games.

Quarterback Sean Clifford (left) and wide receiver KJ Hamler hope to keep the good times rolling as sixth-ranked Penn State visits Michigan State on Saturday.
Quarterback Sean Clifford (left) and wide receiver KJ Hamler hope to keep the good times rolling as sixth-ranked Penn State visits Michigan State on Saturday.Read moreHEATHER KHALIFA / Staff Photographer

Here are our staff picks for this week’s top college football games., which are listed in standard Vegas rotational order.

Last week and year to date standings are at the bottom.

Saturday

Central Florida (-11) TEMPLE (60.5), 7 p.m. (ESPN2)

Great item in Temple’s game notes. This is the fifth year in a row these teams have met with a different head coaching matchup. More importantly, UCF is on a four-game losing streak against the spread. Temple has won and covered all four of its games at Lincoln Financial Field.

» Full Temple, Penn State coverage

Ed Barkowitz
Temple
Mike Jensen
Temple
Joe Juliano
Temple
Erin McCarthy
Temple
Marc Narducci
Temple
Luke Reasoner
UCF
Jonathan Tannenwald
Temple

UTAH (-21) California (37.5), 10 p.m. (FS1)

Utah’s defense has given up 23 points total in the three games since they lost to USC. Last week, when they beat then-No. 17 Arizona State, Sun Devils quarterback Jayden Daniels completed just four of his 18 pass attempts. The Utes are 6-1 and six of their seven games have gone under. The 37.5 here is the lowest number this season.

Ed Barkowitz
California
Mike Jensen
Utah
Joe Juliano
Utah
Erin McCarthy
California
Marc Narducci
Utah
Luke Reasoner
Utah
Jonathan Tannenwald
California

OREGON (-14) Washington St. (64.5), 10:30 p.m. (ESPN)

Washington State has won four in a row in this series, a streak that followed Oregon winning eight straight. Oregon quarterback Justin Herbert has 31 touchdown passes and just one pick.

Ed Barkowitz
Oregon (Best Bet)
Mike Jensen
Oregon
Joe Juliano
Oregon
Erin McCarthy
Washington St.
Marc Narducci
Oregon
Luke Reasoner
Oregon
Jonathan Tannenwald
Oregon

Penn St. (-6.5) MICHIGAN ST. (43.5), 3:30 p.m. (ABC)

Sparty is playing its third consecutive game against a team ranked in the top 10. Michigan State was dumped by Ohio State (34-10) and drilled by Wisconsin (38-0), but this one’s at home. “We’ve got to figure it out and reset and move forward,” said Saprtans coach Mark D’Antonio, "and I think we’re capable of that.”

Sixth-ranked Penn State leads the nation allowing 1.9 yards per rushing attempt.

» READ MORE: Penn State knows Sparty’s quarterback very well

Ed Barkowitz
Michigan St.
Mike Jensen
Penn St.
Joe Juliano
Penn St.
Erin McCarthy
Penn St.
Marc Narducci
Penn St. (Best Bet)
Luke Reasoner
Penn St.
Jonathan Tannenwald
Penn St.

IOWA ST. (-10.5) Oklahoma St. (64.5), 3:30 p.m. (FS1)

Iowa State was losing to Baylor to fall 2-2 when coach Matt Campbell realized something.

“I’ve never had a group that’s worked harder or been more close-knit, but they were putting too much pressure on themselves," Campbell told John Feinstein of the Washington Post. "We needed to figure out a way not to do that.”

The Cyclones (5-2) have won (and covered) three in a row since.

Ed Barkowitz
Oklahoma St.
Mike Jensen
Oklahoma St.
Joe Juliano
Iowa St. (Best Bet)
Erin McCarthy
Iowa St.
Mike Narducci
Oklahoma St.
Luke Reasoner
Oklahoma St.
Jonathan Tannenwald
Iowa St.

Texas (-1) TCU (59.5), 3:30 p.m. (Fox)

Texas gave up 48 points defense to Kansas last week -- 24 in the fourth quarter. Texas. Football, not basketball. Good thing Sam Ehlinger and the offense averages 41 per game, good for ninth in the nation. Don’t play the unders here.

Ed Barkowitz
Texas
Mike Jensen
Texas (Best Bet)
Joe Juliano
TCU
Erin McCarthy
Texas
Marc Narducci
Texas
Luke Reasoner
Texas
Jonathan Tannenwald
Texas

Virginia (-3.5) LOUISVILLE (55.5), 3:30 p.m. (ACCN)

Louisville freshman running back Javian Hawkins ran for 129 yards in last week’s otherwise dismal loss to Clemson. It snapped a 27-game streak where Clemson hadn’t allowed a 100-yard rusher. Good luck figuring out Virginia (5-2), which is 3-3-1 against the spread and tore apart Duke last week.

Ed Barkowitz
Virginia
Mike Jensen
Virginia
Joe Juliano
Louisville
Erin McCarthy
Virginia
Marc Narducci
Louisville
Luke Reasoner
Virginia
Jonathan Tannenwald
Virginia

OHIO ST. (-14) Wisconsin (50.5), 12 p.m. (Fox)

Perhaps Wisky was looking ahead when they were stunned by Illinois last week. The Buckeyes, who are routinely beating people by 40, have covered six in a row. Please note that five of the last six in this series have been decided by seven points or less.

Ed Barkowitz
Wisconsin
Mike Jensen
Ohio St.
Joe Juliano
Wisconsin
Erin McCarthy
Ohio St.
Marc Narducci
Wisconsin
Luke Reasoner
Ohio St.
Jonathan Tannenwald
Ohio St.

LSU (11) Auburn (58.5), 3:30 p.m. (CBS)

LSU has won nine in a row over Auburn in Baton Rouge. Make it 10 and the “Joe Burrow for Heisman” train oughta get even more momentum. This is a tasty appetizer to the main course two weeks from now when third-ranked LSU visits No. 1 Alabama.

Ed Barkowitz
Auburn
Mike Jensen
Auburn
Joe Juliano
Auburn
Erin McCarthy
Auburn
Marc Narducci
LSU
Luke Reasoner
LSU
Jonathan Tannenwald
Auburn

MICHIGAN (-1) Notre Dame (51), 7:30 p.m. (ABC)

This line opened at Michigan -4 in some places. We picked it a -1, but FanDuel and PointsBet were just two of the houses that had the Irish favored by a point as of Friday.

Ed Barkowitz
Notre Dame
Mike Jensen
Michigan
Joe Juliano
Michigan
Erin McCarthy
Notre Dame (Best Bet)
Marc Narducci
Notre Dame
Luke Reasoner
Notre Dame (Best Bet)
Jonathan Tannenwald
Notre Dame (Best Bet)

Last Week

Ed Barkowitz
W-L (Best Bet)
4-6 (0-1)
Mike Jensen
W-L (Best Bet)
4-6 (1-0)
Joe Juliano
W-L (Best Bet)
5-5 (0-1)
Erin McCarthy
W-L (Best Bet)
5-5 (1-0)
Marc Narducci
W-L (Best Bet)
6-4 (0-1)
Luke Reasoner
W-L (Best Bet)
7-3 (0-1)
Jonathan Tannenwald
W-L (Best Bet)
3-7 (0-1)

Year to date

Jonathan Tannenwald
W-L-T (Best Bets)
48-31-1 (3-5)
Pct.
.606
Erin McCarthy
W-L-T (Best Bets)
45-34-1 (4-4)
Pct.
.569
Mike Jensen
W-L-T (Best Bets)
44-35-1 (4-4)
Pct.
.556
Luke Reasoner
W-L-T (Best Bets)
37-32-1 (4-3)
Pct.
.536
Ed Barkowitz
W-L-T (Best Bets)
42-37-1 (5-3)
Pct.
.531
Marc Narducci
W-L-T (Best Bets)
41-38-1 (5-3)
Pct.
.519
Joe Juliano
W-L-T (Best Bets)
37-42-1 (5-3)
Pct.
.469

Note: Luke Reasoner did not pick in Week 1.