For those of you who may not know but ahead of this season, my lovely wife gave birth to our baby boy. He’s adorable. But he’ll need money for college assuming he doesn’t grow up to be a 6’4” point god or TikTok star and it still costs a pretty penny to attend.

So it’s time to open a 529 and what better way* to invest than college football picks.

Note: there are much better ways to invest money and neither I, nor BHGP, are liable for any losses you may endure as a result of any “advice.”

The ground rules:

• No more than 20% wagered per week
• No more than 5% on a single bet

Last week:

• 217 units on Tulane & Troy +131 to beat Navy & MTSU (net -217 units)
• 440 units on Tulsa/Oklahoma State over 66.5 points (net -440 units)
• 200 units on North Texas +450 to beat SMU (net -200 units)

Bankroll: 10,020 units

Things started out great on Saturday, as the Green Wave took Navy by storm to the tune of a 24-0 halftime lead in the Big Easy. Sadly, for our bank account, the Midshipmen were able to rally in the second half and win in regulation, 27-24. It rendered Troy’s blowout of MTSU irrelevant.

In Stillwater, Okie State took their sweet ass time against Tulsa as their QB1 went down and the two teams netted a cool 23 points. That’s never fun. What else is not fun is cheering for North Texas to rectify the day of losses despite spotting SMU a billion points.

Oh well, let’s flush it. We’re still up 0.2% which is better than being down 0.2%.

Would you believe me if I told you I had a couple units on Miami to win it all at +450?

You should. But also know for every solid wager a bettor tells you about there are another four or five in the boneyard.

Onto week four, and the reintroduction of the SEC into our lives, as if they ever left. Their inclusion brings our total games available (as of this writing, of course) to 26 games. Hey, it kinda looks like a real Saturday in the fall!

Let’s turn to our frenemy with our first bet:

Iowa State Cyclones at TCU Horned Frogs (+3 / ML: +125)

ISU has had a full two weeks to wonder just what the hell went wrong in Ames other than the offense, the defense, and the special teams. Well, the defense wasn’t so bad until they let Louisiana ice the game with a seven-minute game-clinching drive.

TCU on the other hand has had their own issues to worry about, as COVID delayed the start of their season. Their starting QB, previously thought unavailable, will have some sort of role as well on Saturday. So things seem to be trending up for TCU as their season opens.

What does our favorite Iowa State fan have to say about the matchup? Take it away Gookin!

The Cyclones are 0-4 in Big 12 openers under Campbell. The Cyclones have opened the Big 12 season with a win just once since 2003 (win vs. Kansas, 2015).

Say no more!

The pick: TCU +125, 400 units to return 900

How about some SEC favorites?

Georgia Bulldogs (-27.5) at Arkansas Razorbacks & Alabama Crimson Tide (-28.5) at Missouri Tigers

Georgia and Alabama are good. Very good. Maybe great. Arkansas and Missouri are breaking in new coaching staffs.

But let’s give us a little breathing room.

The pick: 7-point tease Georgia (-20.5) and Alabama (-21.5) to -120, 480 units to return 880

How about some COVID-influenced selections?

Tennessee Volunteers at South Carolina Gamecocks (+3.5) & NC State Wolfpack (+6.5) at Virginia Tech Hokies

Tennessee and Virginia Tech have had a number of issues in terms of managing their rosters amid a pandemic. Certainly tough. We’ll take the underdogs separately.

The picks: South Carolina +3.5, 220 units to return 420 and NC State +6.5, 220 units to return 420

And there it is! With a fuller slate of games, we’ve got ourselves a full dance card. Let’s get to it.

Bankroll:
8,700 units

Outstanding bets:
TCU +125 to beat ISU (returns 900 units)
Georgia -20.5 and Alabama -21.5 (returns 880 units)
South Carolina +3.5 (returns 420 units)
NC State +6.5 (returns 420 units)
Chelsea +800 to win Premier League (returns 4,005 units)