Every week, Maxwell Award winner, Heisman Trophy finalist, former NFL starting quarterback and CBS Sports analyst Brady Quinn will be here offering his picks on some of the closest, most-competitive college football games.
We have already seen some surprises, but you can set your mind at ease this weekend with these straight-up winners.
Last week: 1-2 | Season: 9-11
Oregon at Cal: I expect a shootout in Berkeley. Neither team is playing good defense and with coach Mark Helfrich starting to feel the heat, the Ducks will do all they can to win convincingly. Cal's graduate transfer QB Davis Webb has played exceptional this season and has the Bears passing attack ranked in the top five in the country, averaging 377.8 yards per game. Oregon has still been dominant running the football, averaging 257 yard per game, but their quarterback play has held them back. True freshman Justin Herbert has taken over the reins and is still getting settled into the position. Unfortunately for Herbert, he's got to play from behind since Oregon's defense is ranked 127th out of 128 in the country. Expect a high scoring game with a lot of fireworks, but I like the Bears at home to squash the Ducks. Pick: Cal
SportsLine ATS projection: Oregon (+3) -- Analysis
Wisconsin at Iowa: Two close calls vs. two of the top teams in the country for the Badgers now has them trying to bounce back after a physical, overtime loss to Ohio State. Iowa has been riding high since losing to North Dakota State and Northwestern earlier this season. It appears they addressed two issues that were plaguing them early on in failing to stop the run and their own rushing offense. Both Leshun Daniels and Akrum Wadley have rushed for over 500 yards so far this season. The caveat is Iowa's schedule. Ranked 115 out of 128 teams, I'm not quite sure how good the Hawkeyes are or if they have truly addressed their deficiencies. To make matters worse, quarterback CJ Beathard may be without one of the favorite targets in tight end George Kittle. I believe I have an idea of how good the Badgers are. After beating LSU and close matchups with Michigan and Ohio State, I believe Wisconsin will bounce back in a must-win rivalry game if they want to have a shot in the Big Ten West. I like Wisconsin in this one. Pick: Wisconsin
SportsLine ATS projection: Iowa (+3.5) -- Analysis
Colorado at Stanford: Cardinal star Christian McCaffrey is still questionable with an undisclosed leg injury. Stanford will need all the help they can get taking on a top-15 defense in the country that has really come along under coach Mike McIntyre. The injuries to Stanford's secondary have been well documented as a reason for the past few weeks struggle. The Cardinal is closer to 100 percent with only defensive back Alijah Holder being questionable for this week's game. The biggest question is whether or not Stanford can score enough points to hang with the Buffs, who are 14th in the country in total offense. Stanford isn't built to win in a shootout and this game could get out of hand if the Buffs get hot early. Expect Colorado to continue their quest for the Pac-12 South with a win over Stanford. Pick: Colorado
SportsLine ATS projection: Stanford (-2) -- Analysis