2019 College Football Week 13 Picks – Penn State at Ohio State Headlines Marquee Matchups: Week 13 of the 2019 College Football season won’t be the most loaded slate of the year, but a huge Big Ten showdown highlights a schedule that features some potential hurdles for some of the top teams in the country. It wouldn’t be a surprise if the College Football Playoff picture looks a little different by the time the weekend is over.
2019 College Football Week 13 Picks: Penn State at Ohio State Headlines Marquee Matchups
No. 8 Penn State Nittany Lions at No. 2 Ohio State Buckeyes (-18.5)
The biggest game of Week 13 will have major implications for both the Big Ten and in the College Football Playoff. Ohio State is an 18.5-point favorite at home and can clinch the Big Ten East with a win and continue to march towards a playoff spot. If Penn State wins, the Nittany Lions would then be in the driver’s seat for a spot in the Big Ten Championship Game and keep their own playoff hopes alive. With rival Michigan looming next weekend and all the pressure in their corner, this has the makings off a trap game for the Buckeyes.
On paper, Ohio State is the superior team at nearly every level, but the Buckeyes have a decided advantage on the offensive side of the ball. OSU is averaging 51.5 points and 541.7 yards per game while Penn State averages 36.8 points and 426.6 yards. Both sides have stout defensive fronts, but while the Nittany Lions actually allow fewer rushing yards per game, the Buckeyes have the stronger defensive numbers overall. Not to mention that Ohio State welcomes back pass-rusher extraordinaire Chase Young to the mix this weekend.
However, I can’t help but circle back to the fact that the Buckeyes may be looking ahead a bit to Michigan in a couple of weeks, which is a recipe for disaster when facing a Penn State team that has given them fits in recent years. Ohio State was upset by the Nittany Lions in 2016, and they Buckeyes needed one-point wins to escape PSU in both 2017 and 2018. The Buckeyes usually struggle when they can’t establish the run, and if nothing else, the Nittany Lions can shut down the run. I think this game turns into another nail-biter for Ohio State. I’ll take Penn State and all those points.
Prediction: Penn State Nittany Lions (+18.5) Cover the Spread
Texas A&M Aggies at No. 4 Georgia Bulldogs (-13)
There aren’t many teams that can say they have faced a tougher road in 2019 than Texas A&M. The Aggies are currently 7-3, but all three losses have come against opponents ranked in eighth or better when they met (Clemson, Auburn and Alabama), twice losing to the No. 1 team in the country. In fact, all three of those teams are still ranked in the top 15 nationally.
Armed with a dual-threat quarterback in Kellen Mond, the Aggies have beat the teams they were favored to beat, and they weren’t embarrassed in their losses. Of course, Georgia poses its own set of challenges thanks to one of the nastiest defenses in the country. Opponents are scoring just 10.5 points per game and gaining just 75.5 rushing yards per game.
That being said, the Bulldogs don’t exactly overwhelm opponents with their offense. They are happy to pound the ball on the ground and hope Jake Fromm can hit a few big throws in the passing game. Yes, the strategy wins a lot of games, but Georgia has scored 27 points or less in six of its last seven games, including five straight. The Aggies might not be able to get over the hump against elite competition, but they do make every opponent earn it. I think Texas A&M covers in a low-scoring affair.
Prediction: Texas A&M Aggies (+13) Cover the Spread
No. 6 Oregon Ducks (-14) at Arizona State Sun Devils
With the Ducks powering towards a Pac-12 title and a potential spot in the College Football Playoff, a 5-5 Arizona State team that has lost four straight looks like little more than a speed bump, at least at face value. However, this Sun Devils bunch doesn’t go down without a fight. Four of their five losses have come by 10 points or less, including three by five points or less. ASU’s worst loss came to a Utah team ranked in the top 10, and that 21-3 defeat was far from a blowout.
Yes, the Ducks have a future first-rounder under center in Justin Herbert, but the Sen Devils have some firepower of their own in dual-threat quarterback Jayden Daniels, running back Eno Benjamin and deep threat Brandon Aiyuk. I don’t think Arizona State can match Oregon’s overall talent in the trenches, but the Sun Devils are no pushovers. I’ll take the home team and a two-touchdown spread.
Prediction: Arizona State Sun Devils (+14) Cover the Spread
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