Am I going to finish second in the Underdog Challenge again, this time because I failed to pick my alma mater two weeks in a row?
Don’t look now, but the Vanderbilt Commodores have pulled off back-to-back upsets against SEC opponents after losing 26 straight league games. A 14.5-point upset of Florida followed a 17-point upset of Kentucky. That’s a bushel full of points I left on the field, and I’ve dropped into second place as a result.
As a reminder of how the contest works, each expert picks an underdog to win in three games. If the upset hits, the expert gets the amount of points that team was an underdog. Normally siding with your alma mater isn’t always the best strategy (especially if that alma mater is Vanderbilt), but the mistake is mine, and now the basketball guy has returned to first place.
MORE: Week 13 against the spread picks for Top 25
The standings after week 12:
| Name | Correct picks | Points |
| Mike DeCourcy | 13 | 69 |
| Bill Trocchi | 8 | 64.5 |
| Bill Bender | 14 | 51.5 |
| Zac Al-Khateeb | 8 | 41.5 |
On to the upsets
Mike DeCourcy, Senior writer
Miami (+6.5) over Pitt
You know those sports analytics folks that say there’s no such thing as choking? Yeah, they’ve never seen me over a 2-foot putt with a chance to break 85. (Of course, no one’s seen that for about 20 years, but that’s another matter). Damn right, there’s such a thing as choking. And I’m here to tell you I’m feeling the pressure right now. The standings above show I’ve got a 4.5-point lead on my boss. That’s nothing! I could blow this. And my history says I will. Kind of like Pitt’s, you know?
Indiana (+10.5) over Purdue
If Indiana wins this game without me picking it, I might hit myself over the head with an oaken bucket. I don’t believe in the Hoosiers. I kinda do in the Boilers. But in that “kinda” is an opportunity to grab double-digit points that might assure me winning this Underdog Challenge. I got to shoot my shot.
Michigan (+7.5) over Ohio State
There’s been a carelessness about the Buckeyes that just can’t be afforded in a game against an opponent like this: a muffed punt against Rutgers that led to an early lead for the Knights, another against Indiana that led to a meaningless score. How can anyone trust that doesn’t happen again this week? And whatever the list of Heisman candidates is saying, C.J. Stroud has not been the same quarterback as a year ago. His percentages are down, the yards are down, the threat is decreased. Michigan isn’t better than Ohio State. But they don’t have to be. They just have to convert the opportunities when they develop.
BENDER: 'The Game' will change if in-season rematches start to happen
Bill Trocchi, Senior editor
No. 3 Michigan (+7.5) at No. 2 Ohio State
Can the Wolverines do it two years in a row? History says no, but I’m trying to predict the future! Some shifty weather may limit Ohio State’s prolific passing attack, and Michigan will try to grind things out on the ground. I’ve contended Michigan is an excellent team all year but doesn’t have the resume to back it up. Ohio State does not feel invincible. Jim Harbaugh finally breaks the Wolverines’ futility in Columbus.
MORE: Remembering Michigan's last win at Ohio State
No. 15 Notre Dame (+5.5) at No. 6 USC
Tough spot for USC here. The Trojans are in the middle of what they hope is a three-week march to the College Football Playoff. They spent a ton of emotion beating UCLA 48-45 last week, and the Pac-12 championship game looms next week. In comes a Notre Dame team coming off a complete, non-stressful whipping of Boston College and is hell-bent on another signature victory in Marcus Freeman’s first season. Despite a Grand Canyon-sized disadvantage at quarterback, the Irish nip the Trojans.
Georgia State (+6) at Marshall
Georgia State is better than its 4-7 mark. The Panthers lost by 7 to North Carolina, by 1 to Charlotte, by 3 to ULM and by 2 to James Madison. Those last two losses saw Georgia State blow double-digit leads. Marshall had its big win at Notre Dame, but has failed to dominate in the Sun Belt. Panthers finally get a close one.
Bill Bender, Lead college football writer
Louisville (+3) at Kentucky
Kentucky has won the last three meetings in blowout fashion, but the Wildcats are coming off a physical loss against Georgia. Louisville is 2-3 S/U on the road this - which isn't great - but they have been the more consistent team in November.
Nevada (+12.5) at UNLV
Both teams are bad. The Rebels have lost six in a row. The Wolfpack have lost nine in a row. It's still an in-state rivalry, and Nevada has won the last two meetings in blowout fashion. With two bad teams, anything can happen on rivalry week. It's worth the swing.
Rice (+14) at North Texas
The Owls need this one to get to a bowl game, and the last three meetings have been decided by 10 points or less. The Mean Green have the top offense in Conference-USA, so Rice will have to slow this game down. We'll take a shot.
Zac Al-Khateeb, Content producer
South Carolina (+14.5) over No. 8 Clemson
This time a week ago I would never have chosen the Gamecocks to beat Clemson. A lot can change in that time, however. Spencer Rattler’s six-touchdown performance against a Tennessee team still very much alive in the CFP race was nothing short of shocking — and spectacular. The Tigers haven’t looked like world-beaters in 2022, either, escaping several teams in games that previous Clemson teams would have breezed through. That’s enough for me to consider the Gamecocks a real threat to upset a Clemson team in very much the same position as the Volunteers.
No. 3 Michigan (+7.5) over No. 2 Ohio State
Michigan last season finally got out from under the crushing weight of an eight-game, nine-year losing streak to Ohio State. But the Wolverines haven’t won consecutive games vs. the Buckeyes since 1999-2000, the latter season of which was the last victory at Ohio Stadium. If it doesn’t happen this year, then when? The Wolverines have confidence heading into this game, and are a physical team that seems built to withstand the offensive onslaught the Buckeyes normally unleash on opponents. J.J. McCarthy and Blake Corum need to have great games, as does the defense. I think they put it all together in another all-time great game in this rivalry.
MORE: Betting trends ahead of Ohio State-Michigan
Coastal Carolina (+14.5) over James Madison
You could argue quite successfully that this line would be smaller — or in Coastal Carolina’s favor — had Grayson McCall, a two-time Sun Belt Player of the Year, not been ruled out for the rest of the season. But that’s football, and it’s clear what linemakers think of the Chanticleers without him, even against a James Madison team making a wildly successful jump to the FBS this season. But Coastal Carolina has 2020 SN Coach of the Year Jamey Chadwell on its sidelines, and that’s got to count for something. The Chanticleers also have clinched the Sun Belt East divisional championship, removing any additional anxiety that may have come with playing the No. 2 team in the division.
