College football Week 11 predictions, odds: Three picks, best bets for Saturdays slate
One of the great things about college football is that it produces all sorts of different characters.You get the Tim Tebows, the Johnny Manziels, and the Baker Mayfields, but you also get the Micah Alejados.A freshman who stands 5-foot-10 and weighs 180 pounds with his gear on, Alejado is the type of quarterback you picture when you close your eyes and think of the prototypical gunslinger for the Hawaii Rainbow Warriors.
He is the goods, too.The Honolulu-born, Vegas-raised quarterback is a semifinalist for the Shaun Alexander Award given to the country’s best freshman, and he’s the main reason why Hawaii is going to a bowl game for the first time since 2020.
But they could do more than just go bowling.Hawaii welcomes Mountain West-leading San Diego State to the Island on Saturday night in a game that could have huge ramifications across the College Football landscape.The Aztecs are a contender for the Group of 5’s bid into the tournament should they win the conference, but they’d be careful not to relax too hard on this trip to paradise.
Alejado and the Rainbow Warriors are one of the very few teams in the Group of 5 that can challenge San Diego State’s terrific pass defense.Weird things happen on the Island.
And I expect this game to be razor tight with Hawaii providing good value on the spread and moneyline.The Pick: Hawaii +6.5 (DraftKings)Shame on us for going against pesky Mississippi State last Saturday.The Bulldogs’ 5-4 overall record and 1-4 mark in the SEC may not jump off this page at you, but it deserves plenty of respect considering Mississippi State went 2-10 in 2024, including 0-for-8 in conference play.And it’s fair to suggest that the Bulldogs deserve better than what they’ve got this season.
Three of Mississippi State’s four losses have been absolute heartbreakers.They lost to Tennessee and Texas in overtime, and fell by two points to Florida in the Swamp.Some tough breaks are all that separate the Bulldogs from an 8-1 (4-1) ...