Saturday’s picks will all feature a similar theme: We’re fading the bandwagons.
We’ll start at the top with Saturday’s headliner between Ohio State and Texas.
If you haven’t heard, a Manning is manning the quarterback position for the Longhorns, who come into the season ranked No. 1.
It all seems a bit much.
Arch Manning has the pedigree, and he looked terrific in a small sample last year, but he is taking on the defending champs at the Horseshoe in Week 1.
Enough Manning money has come in on Hook’Em that the Longhorns have been made the favorites in this game by least one sportsbook, as of Friday afternoon.
Once again, it all seems a bit much.
Ohio State is also breaking in a new starter, but he too has a splendid pedigree.
An early enrollee at Alabama, Julian Sayin transferred to Ohio State before last season to serve as Will Howard’s deputy. Sayin won the top job this offseason, and he steps into a cushy gig.
Not only does he have the country’s best receiver riding shotgun, but he’ll have what should be one of college football’s best defenses backing him up. He won’t need to win games on his own.
The same can’t be said for Manning. Texas needs him to be spectacular and they need him to be that from the jump.
Maybe Manning is generational, and maybe he looks like Peyton and/or Eli from the first snap of the season. In that case, I’ll tip my cap and take my medicine.
But if he’s closer to good than great Saturday, the Buckeyes should roll.
The Pick: OHIO STATE (-1) over Texas
Mississippi State (-13.5) over SOUTHERN MISSISSIPPI
You probably knew all about the Texas bandwagon but, for those of you who aren’t in the trenches, you may not have realized that there was a crazy amount of love for Southern Mississippi in the betting market this summer.
It all stems from the fact that Charles Huff left Marshall for Southern Miss and took a bunch of his players with him to Hattiesburg.
Huff and the Herd pulled a stunner by winning the Sun Belt last year, and there are a lot of wiseguys who are confident that the former Mississippi State assistant can repeat the trick with the Golden Eagles.
Once again, it all seems a bit much.
Mississippi State is a good bet to improve in Year 2 under Jeff Lebby, and they’ll want to hit the ground running against one of their Magnolia State rivals.
LSU (+4) vs. CLEMSON
The hype around Clemson in 2025 makes a ton of sense.
The Tigers lead the country in returning production coming into the new season, and the offense basically brings everybody back, including quarterback Cade Klubnik, one of the favorites to win the Heisman.
Dabo Swinney’s Tigers should win the ACC without much fuss.Â
Follow The Post’s live blog for the latest on anti-Israel protests on campuses across the US
The only problem is they’re not playing an ACC team Saturday.
In every other game they play this season, Clemson will likely have the best quarterback on the field. That may not be the case Saturday, as Garrett Nussmeier leads the Bayou Bengals to Memorial Stadium.
Nussmeier and LSU project to be elite offensively, and the defense should take another step forward in Blake Baker’s second year under the headset.
Clemson’s offense is efficient, but it lacks the explosive upside that LSU will bring Saturday.
Why Trust New York Post Betting
Michael Leboff is a long-suffering Islanders fan, but a long-profiting sports bettor with 10 years of experience in the gambling industry. He loves using game theory to help punters win bracket pools, find long shots, and learn how to beat the market in mainstream and niche sports.
