This is a game I’ve had my eye on for a while, and the total dipping gives me some pause, but I’m going to trust my initial instinct with this one and play the over. CSU can have some success playing at home. The Cougars have a few good pass-rushers and return Chau Smith-Wade at cornerback, but they lost their top three defensive tackles and top three linebackers. Washington State’s defense was quite disruptive last year. Norvell had some high-powered offenses during his time at Nevada, and I think CSU could take a huge leap forward. But the Rams overhauled their line and brought in some additional weapons for promising young QB Clay Millen. CSU went 3-9 in Jay Norvell’s first season and really struggled on offense. Ward has the chance to put up huge numbers in Arbuckle’s system, beginning with a tough opener in Fort Collins.Ĭolorado State could be one of the most improved teams in the country. Cam Ward was a very hyped FCS transfer last year but has been overlooked amid the Pac-12’s talented crop of quarterbacks. Washington State lost Eric Morris to North Texas but upgraded at offensive coordinator by bringing in Ben Arbuckle from Western Kentucky.

Pick: Over 49.5 Washington State at Colorado State Kentucky could score 40-plus points in this game. The Cardinals won’t need to score much for this to go over the total. In addition to Leary, Kentucky brought back its top three receivers, added Vanderbilt transfer Ray Davis at RB and made upgrades to the offensive line.Įven though workhorse running back Carson Steele left for UCLA, I think Ball State has enough on offense to put some points on the board in this one. Now Coen is back in Lexington and has more weapons to work with than he did when he transformed the unit in 2021. He should mesh excellently with Coen, who called UK’s offense in 2021 before departing for the NFL.

Levis brought the potential for more flashy plays, but Leary is more consistent on a down-to-down basis. Leary, when healthy, is an upgrade over Will Levis. The Wildcats brought back Liam Coen as offensive coordinator and added Devin Leary as a graduate transfer quarterback. I’m very high on Kentucky this year and think a big improvement on offense is in store. Time: Noon | TV: SECN | Line: UK -26.5 | Total: 49.5

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