We went 5-4 week last week, eight over .500 midway through October. A 58% clip. We’re chugging along waiting for another big week. Too many on the card again, had a couple of near cross-offs. Will let you know which ones so you can proceed accordingly.
Houston (-3, 51.5) at Navy Noon ET on ESPNU, Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium, Annapolis, Maryland
Van Pelt’s pick: Navy +3
Let’s get into in the noon window again and take Navy once more in Annapolis. Every Houston game is just chaos in all directions. It will likely be a ridiculous sweat, but so what, anchors away.
SVP: 6-3 all time when picking Navy
No. 21 Cincinnati (-3.5, 58.5) at SMU Noon ET on ESPN, Gerald J. Ford Stadium, Dallas
Van Pelt’s pick: SMU +3.5
Navy just backdoored SMU, which was in Bad Beats. We are taking the Ponies at home against Cincinnati. The Cats have won five in a row, but they’ve let some teams hang around who weren’t as capable as SMU. We are taking them plus a little in Dallas. Shout to the Big Rig, Harry Higgs.
SVP: 29-11 all time when picking American Athletic Conference games
No. 7 Ole Miss at LSU (-2.5, 66.5) 3:30 p.m. ET, Tiger Stadium, Baton Rouge, Louisiana
Van Pelt’s pick: LSU -2.5
This one was a near cross-off — we’ve struggled to get a read on LSU all year. Had the Tigers at home against Tennessee and they got absolutely trucked. But they are unranked and favored over an unbeaten top-10 team, that leaves us no choice than to back the Tigers. Let the band play “Neck,” we’ll pay the fine.
SVP:8-5 all time when picking favorites in SEC games
Northwestern (+14) at Maryland 3:30 p.m. ET, SECU Stadium, College Park, Maryland
Van Pelt’s pick: Northwestern (+14)
Am I really about to take the team playing the Terps on homecoming weekend when I plan to be in the Snake Pit on Saturday? I am. QB situation uncertain for the Terps and Northwestern has shown an ability to hang around. That’s a lot of candy to be handing out. Happiness hedge here. Terps to win, but not by quite this many.
SVP: 1-3 all time when picking against Maryland
BYU at Liberty (+7) 3:30 p.m. ET on ESPNU, Williams Stadium (VA), Lynchburg, Virginia
Van Pelt’s pick: Liberty +7
Was it a gambling man who once said, give me liberty — or give me debt? I think it was. We don’t want you in debt to your man — let’s light the fire and go with the Flames at home plus the TD vs. BYU.
I don’t know if I am the nation’s finest Sun Belt tout — but I think I must be close. We are taking another nibble and taking Georgia Southern again plus the small helper in Norfolk against Old Dominion.
SVP: 7-0 when picking Sun Belt teams this year
UCF at East Carolina (+5) 7:30 p.m. ET on ESPNU, Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium, Greenville, North Carolina
Van Pelt’s pick: East Carolina +5
Few things bring me as much joy as this picture. It represents so many things. Those who know — know. No Quarter. Sup Dogs? More like home dogs? The Pirates battle UCF in Dowdy-Ficklen, where they’re always dangerous.
SVP: 5-2 all time when picking East Carolina
Minnesota (+4) at 16 Penn State 7:30 p.m. ET on ABC, Beaver Stadium, University Park, Pennsylvania
Van Pelt’s pick: Minnesota +4
The White Out game is one of the great events in the sport, the scene is special. This line kinda stinks a little bit and Ohio State is up next for the Nittany Lions. Feels like a tricky spot and we are rowing the boat with Sky-U-Mah in this tilt.
SVP: 5-2 all time when picking P.J. Fleck teams
No. 17 Kansas State (+3.5) at No. 8 TCU 8 p.m. ET, Amon G. Carter Stadium, Fort Worth, Texas
Van Pelt’s pick: Kansas State +3.5
Finally — another game I have gone back and forth on all week. If it seems like TCU has been in big games for a month straight, it’s because it has. At some point, does the energy wane just a little? Kansas State had a bye last week. We went with EMAW earlier this season on the road in Norman where they were outright winners. Now we are with them in Fort Worth in a huge Big 12 showdown.
SVP: 6-3 all time when picking matchup of ranked Big 12 teams
SOUTH BEND, Ind. — Jeremiyah Love tied the Notre Dame record with a 98-yard touchdown run,Riley Leonard added two more scores and the Fighting Irish shut down the highest-scoring team in the College Football Playoff, overwhelming Indiana27-17 on Friday night.
The seventh-seeded Fighting Irish (12-1) won their 11th straight — and their first playoff victory. They’ll face second-seeded Georgia in the Sugar Bowl on Jan. 1. Notre Dame coach Marcus Freeman got the biggest win of his three-year career by extending his Irish record to 12 victories over ranked teams in three seasons.
“There’s no place like Notre Dame,” Leonard said. “This is why you come here, this is why I came here — to play for a championship.”
Tenth-seeded Indiana (11-2) completed a magical season by finishing with its second fewest points this season on a cold, brisk night in the first CFP game ever played on a campus site. Both of the Hoosiers’ losses came to top-five opponents. Indiana set a single-season school record for wins but still hasn’t won at Notre Dame since 1898.
Notre Dame took control on its third offensive play when Love scooted around the right side of Indiana’s defense, eluded one tackle and sprinted down the sideline to make it 7-0. He matched Josh Adams’ longest run in school history, set in 2015 against Wake Forest. It was also the longest run in CFP history.
“It’s all about finding a way to get another week,” Freeman said. “It wasn’t easy. But we’re going to enjoy this one and we’ll get another one.”
Love finished with eight carries for 108 yards despite appearing to reinjure his left knee later in the first half.
Indiana never recovered after Notre Dame made it 14-0 early in the second quarter.
Leonard’s 1-yard TD run late in the fourth gave him 15 this season to break Notre Dame’s season record by a quarterback.
Indiana scored both of its touchdowns in the final 1:27.
Notre Dame made it 14-0 on Leonard’s 5-yard TD pass to Jayden Thomas early in the second quarter. The Irish settled for three more field goals, and the defense took care of the rest — allowing just one field goal.
Leonard was 23 of 32 with 201 yards and one interception. Notre Dame receiver Jordan Faison caught seven passes for 89 yards.
Indiana quarterback Kurtis Rourke turned in another poor game against a top defense, finishing 20 of 33 with 215 yards, with two TDs and one interception, and the Hoosiers rushed for just 63 yards.
“They took it to us,” Indiana coach Curt Cignetti said. “They won, they deserve to win. We didn’t play our best game, but they had a lot to do with that tonight.”
Takeaways Indiana: The Hoosiers trailed fewer minutes than any other FBS team this season and had the highest-scoring team entering the playoffs. They didn’t do either Friday night against a stout Irish defense that rattled Rourke early.
Notre Dame: The Irish have relied on the running game and defense all season — and it was that combination that gave Notre Dame the first playoff win in school history. It may need more out of its passing game to win its first national championship since 1988.
Up next Indiana: Will spend a busy offseason trying to replicate what they built in Year 1 under coach Curt Cignetti.
Notre Dame: Plays Georgia in the Sugar Bowl on New Year’s Day.
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — A federal judge set a Jan. 8 hearing to hear NASCAR’s motion to throw out an antitrust lawsuit filed against the stock car series by Michael Jordan-owned 23XI Racing and Front Row Motorsports
The two teams are suing NASCAR and were granted a preliminary injunction Wednesday that will allow them to compete as chartered teams in 2025.
U.S. District Court Judge Kenneth D. Bell said Friday that “NASCAR fans [and members of the public who may become fans] have an interest in watching all the teams compete with their best drivers and most competitive teams.” NASCAR has indicated it will appeal his ruling and wants his injunction partially blocked pending the appeal.
The hearing is the latest in the legal brawl between the two Cup Series teams and the sanctioning body that began late last season. Judge Bell is set to decide other motions, as well. He also set a Sept. 19, 2025, deadline for discovery to be completed and set a trial date of Dec. 1 — after the completion of next season.
23XI, the team owned by Jordan and three-time Daytona 500 winner Denny Hamlin, and Front Row refused in September to sign take-it-or-leave it charter renewal offers made by NASCAR. A charter is essentially a franchise and guarantees prize money, a spot in the field each week and other protections.
The teams filed suit alleging NASCAR owners are “monopolistic bullies” and lost a bid in November to be recognized as “chartered” teams as the suit continues.
23XI and Front Row can now sign the charter agreements and still pursue their lawsuit. They also each were granted permission to purchase additional charters from Stewart Haas Racing, which is going from four Cup cars to one, though NASCAR must approve the transfers to those teams.