Every Thursday during the season, Bill Connelly, Doug Kezirian, Preston Johnson and Phil Steele will provide their top plays across the college football landscape.
Here are their best bets for the eighth full week of the college football season:
Season ATS records:
Connelly: 13-8-1 (1-2 last week)
Kezirian: 26-17-1 (4-0-1 last week)
Johnson: 21-16-1 (5-2 last week)
Steele: 13-24 (0-5 last week)
Note: Picks from Caesars Sportsbook lines as of Wednesday night.
Friday's games
No. 4 Ohio State Buckeyes (-28.5) at Northwestern Wildcats
Kezirian: As I have mentioned before, this is not a typical Northwestern team. The Wildcats are extremely inept on offense and lack speed on defense, which is why they are winless against Power 5 opponents. They haven't scored a first-half touchdown in those four losses, while mustering only three field goals. Ohio State presents a giant mismatch but some worry about a flat spot, given that it hosts undefeated Wisconsin on Oct. 26; I do not.
A road game on a Friday night should have a "big-game feel," and I also think the Buckeyes will respond after being leapfrogged by LSU in the polls. To avoid the backdoor cover, I'll side with a strong start from Ohio State. The Buckeyes should roll, unless the rumors about the Ryan Field grass prove legitimate.
Pick: Ohio State -17 1H (FanDuel)
Saturday's games
