We went 3-2 in week 1, which can often be unpredictable, so we will take it. Boise State and Baylor were big disappointments, while Georgia Tech, Miami (FL), and TCU came through for us. Now we turn the page to Week 2 with five more plays. In an unusual twist, four of them are road teams, which can always be a little nerve-wracking, but I love every one of these picks so let’s get to it.
James Madison (+14.5) at Louisville
James Madison continues to be one of the best programs outside the Power Four. The Dukes are 48–12 over the past five seasons, and while Curt Cignetti left for Indiana two years ago, Bob Chesney has kept the machine running. They do not bring back a ton of starters from last year’s 9–4 squad, but they hit the portal hard and landed several impact transfers. I like QB Alonza Barnett and he looked sharp in their 45–10 opening win over Weber State.
Louisville is a good team though, and Jeff Brohm’s squad returns 16 starters from a 9-4 team. They rolled Eastern Kentucky in Week 1 and I expect them to take care of business at home against the Dukes, but 14.5 points feels like too much.
This JMU team went to Chapel Hill last year and hung 70 on North Carolina in an embarrassing rout, so they won’t be intimidated by an ACC road trip. Louisville probably gets the win, but I like the Dukes to hang tough and cover the number.
The Pick: JMU +14.5
UCONN (+7) at Syracuse
UConn is good, Syracuse is not. I cannot put it more simply than that. I love what Jim Mora is building in Storrs. The Huskies went 9-4 last year and while they do not return a ton of starters, they have a steady quarterback in Joe Fagnano, a Wisconsin transfer, and plenty of depth at the skill spots.
Last season UConn went up to Syracuse and only lost by seven. That is exactly where the line sits this week, but the Orange are a much worse team than they were a year ago. They just got blown out by Tennessee and I have them pegged as a best bet to finish under 4.5 wins this season.
I like Fran Brown as a coach and think he will have better years ahead, but this roster is not good. Steve Angeli is not the answer at quarterback and is a major drop from last year’s starter Kyle McCord. Syracuse may sneak out a win at home, but I would not be shocked at all if UConn wins outright. Either way, seven points is too many so I will gladly take the Huskies in this one.
The Pick: UCONN +7
Liberty (-6) at Jacksonville State
Yes, it’s another road play and yes, I am laying the points, which is always scary to do in a conference matchup. But Liberty is simply the better team here and should have no problem covering. Jamey Chadwell might be the best coach in the Group of Five, and while last year’s 8-4 campaign felt like a letdown after a 13–1 Fiesta Bowl season in 2023, the Flames return 15 starters and look like the clear class of CUSA.
Jacksonville State had a nice run under Rich Rodriguez, but with only six starters back and fresh off a 17–10 loss to a below-average UCF team, this is a tough spot. Even on the road, I like junior QB Ethan Vasko and this Liberty offense to light up the scoreboard and win comfortably by double digits.
The Pick: Liberty -6
Akron at Nebraska (-34.5)
This line could be twenty points higher and I would still consider it. Akron is flat-out terrible. They went 4-8 last season and just got shut out at home by a Wyoming team that finished 3-9 and is projected to be near the bottom of the Mountain West again. Nebraska is not the powerhouse it once was, but this is Matt Rhule’s third year and I think it could be special. They opened with a solid win over a scrappy Cincinnati squad, Dylan Raiola is the real deal at quarterback and should make a huge leap in year two, and now in their home opener at Memorial Stadium, a place that has sold out every game since 1962, they are going to pound the Zips into oblivion. This spread might be reached by halftime, so I’ll happily lay the points here and enjoy the win.
The Pick: Nebraska -34.5
Ole Miss (-10) at Kentucky
This is another spot where I like the road favorite to roll. Ole Miss may be breaking in a new quarterback after the Jaxson Dart era, but Austin Simmons looks more than capable of taking over. He threw for 341 yards and 3 touchdowns in the opener against Georgia State, and while the 2 interceptions need to be cleaned up, he has the tools to thrive in Lane Kiffin’s offense.
I respect Mark Stoops and what he has built in Lexington over 13 years at a school that still prioritizes hoops over football, but this season is going to be a rough one. Toledo is a solid MAC program, but Kentucky barely got by them and Zach Calzada looked awful, completing under 50 percent of his passes for just 85 yards.
The Rebels are by far the better team on both sides of the ball. I expect Ole Miss to head into Lexington and steamroll the Wildcats. Lay the 10 with confidence.
The Pick: Ole Miss -10
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