Free College Football Picks For Today 9/2/2023
More College Football Picks Predictions Previews
Texas Tech vs. Wyoming College Football Pick Prediction 9/2/2023
Texas Tech at Wyoming 7:30PM ET –Joey McGuire is in his second year as the head coach for Texas Tech. Red Raiders finished 2022 at 8-5 and return eleven starters on offense with six to the defense. The team produced 34.2 points and 461 yards per game last year. On defense Texas Tech surrendered 29.2 points and 426 yards per game. They return three of their top four running backs with their top five receivers returning. Senior quarterback Tyler Shough returns at quarterback. All five starters return to the offensive line with inexperience defensively in the back seven. Craig Bohl is in his tenth season as head coach for Wyoming. They have five starters back on offense with ten to the defense. Offensively the Cowboys posted 21.2 points and 314 yards per game. On defense they did limit the opposition to 23.9 points and 370 yards per game. Their 1094-yard rusher exits the program, but the three backups return. Two of their top three receivers returned as did their starting quarterback Andrew Peasley. Wyoming returns two starts on the offensive line, all returning to the front seven. Cowboys’ experience defensively encouraging as is the running ability of Peasley. Shough’s completion rate and yards per attempt dropped dramatically last year. Play Wyoming +14.
Middle Tennessee St vs. Alabama College Football Pick Prediction 9/2/2023
Middle Tennessee St at Alabama 7:30PM ET—Rick Stockstill is in his eighteen year as head coach for Middle Tennessee St. Blue Raiders returned five starters on offense with eight to the defense. The offense generated 28.8 points and 373 yards per game last year. On defense the Blue Raiders allowed 27.7 points and 409 yards per game. The top running back returns for Middle Tennessee St but lose their top three receivers. Quarterback Chase Cunningham has left the program. Sophomore quarterback Nicholas Vattiato will start at quarterback. Four starters return to the offensive line with experience on all levels defensively. Nick Saban returns for his 17th year as head coach for Alabama. Five starters return to the offense and defense for a team that finished at 11-2 in 2022. They put up 41 points and 477 yards per game last year. On defense the Crimson Tide held opponents to 18 points and 318 yards per game. Their top running back exits but their top two receivers return. Quarterback Bryce Young went to the NFL. Jalen Milroe will start at quarterback. Notre Dame transfer Tyler Buchner failed to win the starting job. Three starters return to the offensive line with inexperience in the back seven. Vattiato has played in eight games the past two seasons for the Blue Raiders. Interceptions have been an issue with home throwing for seven picks in 145 passing attempts. Milroe saw action in eight games with Alabama last season completing 58.5% of his passes. He is a run threat who compiled an 8.5 yards per rush attempt. Blue Raiders inexperience on offense a concern here. Milroe’s running ability will create big plays for the Tide’s offense. Play Alabama -39.
Toledo vs. Illinois College Football Pick Prediction 9/2/2023
Toledo at Illinois 7:30PM ET—Toledo head coach Jason Candle is back for his ninth year with the program. Rockets finished at 9-5 last year and returned eight starters to the offense as well as defense. The team put up 31.3 points with 402 yards per game last season. On defense they held opponents to 25 points and 326 yards per game. Toledo returns their top rushers from 2022 and their top two receivers. Quarterback Dequan Finn returns. Rockets have four starters return to the offensive line with experience in the back seven. Bret Bielema is back for this third season as head coach for Illinois. The Fighting Illini went 8-5 in 2022 and returned six starters on offense as well as on the defense. Illinois posted 24.2 points and 379 yards per game last season. On defense the Fighting Illini limited foes to 12.8 points and 274 yards per game. They lose their top running back Chase Brown who gained 1699 yards last year. Three of their top four receivers return and their starting quarterback exits. Ole Miss transfer Luke Altmyer will start at quarterback. Three starters return on the offensive line with experience in the front seven defensively but only one returning in the secondary. Finn’s experience and running ability the key here. He has averaged over 7.5 yards per pass attempt the past two seasons as the starting quarterback. The junior rushed for 4.9 yards a carry in 2022. Altmyer the past two seasons with Ole Miss completed 28 of 55 for 317 yards. He did not possess much running ability. Prefer Finn and the Rockets experience. Play Toledo +9.5.
South Alabama vs. Tulane College Football Pick Prediction 9/2/2023
South Alabama at Tulane 8PM ET—Kane Wommack enters his third season as head coach for South Alabama. The Jaguars finished at 10-3 and returned nine starts to the offense as well as the defense. Offensively the team put up 31 points and 424 yards per game. Defensively South Alabama held foes to 21.3 points and 332 yards per game. Jaguars return their top three rushers from a season ago along with six of their top seven receivers. Starting quarterback Carter Bradley returns. Four starters return on the offensive line with experience on all three levels of defense. Willie Fritz is in his eighth season as head coach for Tulane. Mean Green finished at 12-2 in 2022 and returned six starts on offense with eight to the defense. The teams produced 36 points and 441 yards per game offensively. Defensively Mean Green showed improvement by holding foes to 22 points and 360 yards per game. They lose their top running back Tylae Spears who rushed for 1603 yards. Their top two receivers also exited. Starting quarterback Michael Pratt is back. Four starters return to the offensive line with experience on defense in the front seven. Carter Bradley in the non-conference did complete 72% against UCLA last year. He finished 2022 with 64.6% completion rate with 7.8 yards per attempt. Pratt had a monster 2022 completing 64% of his throws with 8.9 yards per attempt. He passed for 27 touchdowns and five interceptions. He had a huge Cotton Bowl in the team’s one point win to USC. Play South Alabama and Tulane over 52.
Old Dominion vs. Virginia Tech College Football Pick Prediction 9/2/2023
Old Dominion at Virginia Tech 8PM ET—Ricky Rahne is in his fourth year as the head coach for Old Dominion. The Monarchs finished at 3-9 last year and returned four starters on offense with three to the defense. Offensively, they took a step back in 2022 by scoring 19.5 points and 339 yards per game. On defense they limited foes to 26.6 points but 442 yards. Monarchs lose their top running back and two of their top three receivers. Their starting quarterback Al Jennings has exited the program. Sophomore transfer Grant Wilson will start at quarterback. Only two starters return on the offensive line with inexperience defensively in all three levels of defense. Brent Pry is back for his second year with Virginia Tech. Hokies finished 3-8 in 2022 and returned seven starters to the offense as well as the defense. The team struggled on offense posting 19.3 points and 314 yards per game last year. The run game generated only 3.1 yards per carry. On defense they did hold foes to 24.7 points and 371 yards a game. Virginia Tech loses their top two rushers and top receiver. Quarterback Grant Wells returned. But Baylor transfer Kyron Drones could see action if Wells fails. Three starters are back on the offensive line with experience on all three levels of defense. Wilson attempted only thirteen passes in FCS Fordham. Marshall transfer Wells saw his numbers drop considerably in his first season at Virginia Tech completing 59% with 6.5 yards per attempt. Quarterback situation and experience massive concern here for the Monarchs. How does an FCS transfer win this job with only thirteen collegiate passes? Play Virginia Tech -16.
Sam Houston St vs. BYU College Football Pick Prediction 9/2/2023
Sam Houston St at BYU 10:15PM ET—K.C. Keller returns for his tenth season with the Bearkats. The team finished at 5-4 in their final year in the FCS. Returning are seven starters on offense with nine to the defense. Sam Houston St put up just 18.3 points and 331 yards in 2022. On defense they limited opponents to 21 points and 349 yards per game. Their top running backs return as do five of their top six receivers. Starting quarterback Keegan Shoemaker returns. The Bearkats return two starters to the offensive line with experience in all three levels defensively. Kalani Sitake is in his eighth year as BYU head coach. The Cougars finished 2022 at 8-5 and returned eight starters on offense with seven on defense. Offensively the team produced 31.3 points and 426 yards per game. On defense they surrendered 29.5 points and 408 yards per game. BYU loses their top three rushers and their top receiver. Quarterback Jaren Hall leaves the program. USC/Pittsburgh transfer Kedon Slovis to start at quarterback. Three starters return to the offensive line with experience defensively in the front seven. Both corners are first year starters. Shoemaker completed only 46.6% of his passes last year with 5.5 yards per attempt. He is the co-starter along with Arizona/North Texas transfer Grant Gunnell. He has thrown only nine passes the past two seasons. First year in FBS competition for the Bearkats. Their lack of experience on the offensive line and quarterback positions a major concern here. Numbers were not impressive in their final year in the FCS. Play BYU -19.
Coastal Carolina vs. UCLA College Football Pick Prediction 9/2/2023
Coastal Carolina at UCLA 10:30PM ET—Tim Beck is in his first season as head coach for Coastal Carolina. The Chanticleers went 9-4 in 2022 and returned eight starters on offense with seven to the defense. The team saw a reduction offensively last year by putting up 29 points and 405 yards per game. The defense slipped as well by surrendering 31.8 points and 418 yards per game. Coastal Carolina does return their top rushers and four top receivers. Quarterback Grayson McCall is back. Three starters returned to the offensive line with defensive experience at the linebacker experience. Both corners are first year starters. Chip Kelly is in his sixth year as head coach for the Bruins. UCLA was 9-4 in 2022 and returned seven starters on offense with nine to the defense. They produced 39.2 points and 504 yards per game a year ago. The defense gave up 29 points and 403 yards per game. The Bruins loses their top two rushers and three of their top four receivers. Quarterback Dorian Thompson Robinson is on an NFL roster. Washington transfer Ethan Garbers, Freshman Dante Moore and Kent ST transfer Collin Schlee will see time at quarterback. Four starters return to the offensive line with all four defensively back in the secondary. McCall has started the past three seasons with the Chanticleers and made his name early last season in the Heisman discussion. He is six foot three and with four starting seasons entering next season’s NFL draft could find his way into the league. Accuracy, down field passing and touchdown to interception ratio at an elite level. Bruins are going to miss DTR as the quarterback position is a bit messy for the Bruins in this opener. Play Coastal Carolina +16.