The Locksmith's Pick 6: Week 4

Multiple Top 25 showdowns on Saturday will start the playoff separation process

Byu over KANSAS, taking 9 1/2 

Did anyone notice that the Jayhawks needed a late TD to beat Nevada last week? QB Kedon Slovis appears to have found a home at BYU, which is also 3-0.

OREGON over Colorado, giving 21  

Let's start with this: Buffs' QB Shedeur Sanders has been phenomenal so far. Now let's be real: Colorado doesn't play defense and needed two OTs at home last week to beat a team it was favored over by three TDs. Quietly, Bo Nix is having a Heisman-type year for the Ducks.

ALABAMA over Mississippi, giving 6 1/2

Doubt Nick Saban at your own risk. You know he was lighting a fire under QB Jalen Milroe with the talk of benching him. Tide's O-line can be shaky at times but Ole Miss is overly reliant on QB Jaxson Dart for his arms and legs.

PENN STATE over Iowa, giving 14 1/2

Undeterred by the big spread for one reason: Hawkeyes' offense is still not good enough to win big games. If the Nittany Lions play a full four-quarter game this one could get ugly. Expect a big bounce back effort from QB Drew Allar at home.

NOTRE DAME over Ohio State, taking 3

Sam Hartman (13 TD passes with no INTs this year) is making his 50th career start here. Buckeyes' QB Kyle McCord is making his fifth -- and in a tough environment. Unimpressed so far by OSU's offense. Irish have scored 40 points or more in all four games so far.

North Carolina over PITTSBURGH, taking 7 1/2

Let's be brutally honest about this: Pitt QB Phil Jurkovec is not good. And UNC QB Drake Maye is very good. Jurkovec, who may be benched, was 8-for-20 passing in a loss to West Virginia last week and is completing 46.5 percent of his passes. Panthers are nowhere good enough to overcome that.

 

Home team in CAPS

Last week vs. spread: 3-3

Season to date vs. spread: 6-11-1