Steele: Week 4 picks | Harris: Best bets | CFB PickCenter | ESPN Chalk
Each week during the 2014 college football season, I will offer up my picks and scores for the biggest games of the week, in addition to a handful of other key matchups.
Last week, my picks went 7-3 straight up and 5-5 against the spread. My overall record stands at 22-8 SU and 15-15 ATS.
For the first time this season, there are several marquee conference games on the slate, along with one of the best nonconference games of the season in Auburn at Kansas State tonight on ESPN at 7:30 ET.
No. 22 Clemson Tigers at No. 1 Florida State Seminoles (-11)
Saturday, 8 p.m. ET, ABC
In one of Clemson's biggest home games in school history, the Tigers found themselves an underdog in this matchup last season, despite the fact that they were ranked No. 3 and Florida State was No. 5 coming into the game. The oddsmakers knew what they were talking about, as the Seminoles dominated 51-14 in a contest that jump-started quarterback Jameis Winston's Heisman season (444 passing yards) and pushed the Seminoles to the forefront of national title consideration.
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This season, FSU has failed to cover its first two games by a combined 46 points, though most of it has been due to inflated lines after a dominating 2013 season. Coming off a bye week, I was thinking the Seminoles were due to make a statement after they have seen teams such as Oregon and Oklahoma steal some of their thunder. However, with Winston suspended for the entire game, it will be on the shoulders of sophomore Sean Maguire to keep the Noles in the national title mix. Maguire did play in eight games a year ago and completed 13 of his 21 passes for 116 yards with a 2-2 TD-to-INT ratio. He still has some elite skill position talent around him, led by running back Karlos Williams and wide receiver Rashad Greene.