Ohio State is picked to beat Illinois 45-13 in its Big Ten opener and is favored by 27.5 points. The writer cites short-yardage, receiving and pass-rush issues but still sees Ohio State as a national-title contender. Illinois is 2-1; kickoff is listed for noon ET on FOX.
The picks went 16-9 against the spread last week (7-2 in national games, 9-7 in Big Ten games), taking the season record to 41-33 (15-8 national, 26-25 Big Ten). Other featured calls: Tennessee over Texas 31-27, Ole Miss over Florida 38-30, LSU over Texas A&M 35-23, Iowa over Michigan 21-17 and Oregon over USC 42-31.
