Football expert Phil Steele is the owner and publisher of Phil Steele’s College Football Preview, regarded as the college football bible. Get in-depth coverage of college and pro football 24/7/365 at PhilSteele.com.
Penn State (+3) over Wisconsin: Penn State has edges at quarterback and special teams (my No. 24 vs. No. 86). Over the course of the past five weeks, the Nittany Lions have been the better team. At the Phil Steele Plus section of my website, my computer has Penn State playing to an average game grade of 105.6, while Wisconsin is playing to an average grade of 93.9. The Nittany Lions also are on an 8-0 overall run against the spread and pulled the outright upset the last time they were an underdog, when they beat Ohio State.
Washington (-7¹/₂) over Colorado: The teams are comparable on both sides of the ball, but Washington has the overall talent edge and a sizable advantage on special teams (my No. 41 vs. No. 111). Last week, both were playing with pressure, needing wins to get here. Washington was dominant, while Colorado struggled. The Huskies have dominated this series, winning and covering all four as Pac-12 members.
Last week (NCAA): 1-1
Season: 13-12- 1