SVP’s ‘Winners’ for Week 4 in college football
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Scott Van Pelt, Host, SportsCenter with SVP
4-5 last week. Fun sweats the last two weeks, but the picks aren’t good enough. We trust the process. Trust the grind. Trust the late night scribbling after some Tito’s and soda. That sound like someone whose advice you want? Someone who has no pick discipline and gives out 10 more? Because that’s who is talking here. Actually, I didn’t give out the games I like Friday — so, there’s at least a little restraint.
Saturday’s picks
No . 4 Florida State Seminoles (-2, 55) at Clemson Tigers
Noon ET on ABC, Memorial Stadium, Clemson, S.C.
Van Pelt’s pick: Clemson +2
Clemson plus the points from Florid State. If Dabo’s guys are any good — they gotta win this game. They don’t and their hopes are toast before the end of September.
SVP: First time picking Clemson in nine seasons of Winner$
No. 16 Oklahoma Sooners (-14.5, 57.5) at Cincinnati Bearcats
Noon ET, Nippert Stadium, Cincinnati
Van Pelt’s pick: Cincinnati +14.5
Historic Nippert Stadium is the site of the next nooner. Home team just lost to Miami … of Ohio. Visitors have scored 66 or more TWICE in three games. So … you know what to do. Take the home team and the points. Just cuz.
SVP: 3-1-1 all-time when picking Cincinnati
Army Black Knights at Syracuse Orange (-13.5, 49.5)
Noon ET on ACCN, JMA Wireless Dome, Syracuse, N.Y.
Van Pelt’s pick: Army +13.5
I love America and the people who defend it, and I love Army. Syracuse made me pay last week — but we’re going against them again with Clemson on deck against a team who is a pain in the butt to play.
SVP: 3-4-1 all-time when picking Army
No. 19 Colorado Buffaloes at No. 10 Oregon Ducks (-21, 69)
3:30 p.m. ET on ABC, Autzen Stadium, Eugene, Ore.
Van Pelt’s pick: Oregon -21
Remember in high school when you were at a party and the keg was kicked, some neighbor called the cops and it was time to go? Feels like we could be there for Colorado. Better to leave the party half an hour early than a half an hour late. They are 21 point ‘dogs this week? 21? Buffs getting that many feels suspicious — laying them with the Ducks in Eugene. If Colorado wins this one then Vegas has done the worst job handicapping them through four games that I have ever seen.
SVP: 3-1 all-time when laying at least 21 points
Texas Tech Red Raiders (-6, 55) at West Virginia Mountaineers
3:30 p.m. ET on BIG12/ESPN+, Milan Puskar Stadium, Morgantown, W.V.
Van Pelt’s pick: West Virginia +6
If I say Let’s Go Mountaineers — do you know the appropriate response? People in Morgantown do … let’s go drink some beers. West-by-God at home plus the points from Texas Tech in their Big 12 opener.
SVP: 3-4 all-time when picking West Virginia
Maryland Terrapins (-7.5, 52.5) at Michigan State Spartans
3:30 p.m. ET, Spartan Stadium, East Lansing, Mich.
Van Pelt’s pick: Michigan State +7.5
Happiness Hedge alert. Terps have fallen behind 14-0 the last two weeks at home — but came back to win easy. They play their first road game against a desperate Michigan State squad. Not sure what to make of Sparty — lot going on there — but the Terps giving MORE than a TD on the road feels high? Terps in a close one.
SVP: 2-3 all-time when picking against Maryland
No. 14 Oregon State Beavers (-3, 58.5) at No. 21 Washington State Cougars
7 p.m. ET, Martin Stadium, Pullman, Wash.
Van Pelt’s pick: Washington State +3
Board is loaded with great games — Paloose hosting one of the really intriguing matchups. Beavers and Cougars are both off to 3-0 starts. Oregon State is real, but I am on the home team to get to 4-0 in this Pac-12 showdown.
SVP: 3-2 all-time when picking Washington State
Appalachian State Mountaineers at Wyoming Cowboys (-3, 42.5)
7 p.m. ET on ESPN, Jonah Field at War Memorial Stadium, Laramie, Wyo.
Van Pelt’s pick: Appalachian State +3
This one is a bit off the grid but is another fun matchup of awesome fan bases and teams. Shout to Dax Crum — if you know, you know — Wyoming is a very competitive 2-1. But they welcome a rugged outfit to Laramie — the boys from Boone. Went against them last week in a complete gong show game where they erased a big deficit to beat ECU. I am on App State on the road plus a small nibble in a game that needs to be on a screen in your home.
SVP: 2-3 all-time when picking Appalachian State
Mississippi State Bulldogs at South Carolina Gamecocks (-6, 48.5)
7:30 p.m. ET on SECN, Williams-Brice Stadium, Columbia, S.C.
Van Pelt’s pick: Mississippi State +6
Speaking of going against — after taking Mississippi State last week at home in a game where they got debacled — you might think I’d fade them on the road at South Carolina. You might — if you’re NEW here. Unflappable is my middle name, and we back them once again getting less that a TD on the road — that number stinks.
SVP: 8-8 all-time when picking Mississippi State
No. 17 North Carolina Tar Heels (-7, 50) at Pittsburgh Panthers
8 p.m. ET on ACCN, Acrisure Stadium, Pittsburgh
Van Pelt’s pick: Pittsburgh +7
Last game. Fighting Narduzzi’s are 1-2 and just lost the Backyard Brawl in a game they scored 6 points. If they score 6 vs. North Carolina, then this pick has no chance. But I like Pitt to make it a four-quarter fight and will take the points at home.
SVP: 12-4 all-time when picking ACC home underdogs at night
Ten picks. Twelve was too many, nine wasn’t enough. So, 10 it is. All free.
LAS COLINAS, Texas — Ohio State athletic director Ross Bjork told leaders of the College Football Playoff on Tuesday that the sport’s calendar needs to change, and it’s a critical component as they consider the playoff’s future format.
Bjork, just months removed from watching his Buckeyes win the national title, attended a portion of the annual CFP spring meetings to provide feedback with the three other athletic directors who participated in semifinals and hosted first-round games: Texas athletic director Chris Del Conte, Penn State athletic director Pat Kraft and Notre Dame athletic director Pete Bevacqua, who is part of the CFP’s management committee along with the 10 FBS commissioners.
Bjork said CFP executive director Rich Clark asked if he had one major point he wanted to make before leaving.
“We’ve had so many disruptions over the last five-plus years that I think the time is now to not be reactive, be proactive,” Bjork told ESPN. “When we had this setting here with the commissioners, our job was to provide feedback on what was it like to go through the 12-team playoff … but it all gets impacted by the calendar. I felt it was important to lay that out with everyone in the room to say, separate from the CFP process, if we don’t fix our calendar as an industry, then we’re going to continue to have unintended consequences.”
Bjork shared with the commissioners the perspective of a school trying to win a national title while classes had begun Jan. 6. Ohio State’s academic advisers traveled with the team to the semifinal and national title game, he said, but some athletes missed class and the school had to apply for waivers around the countable athletically related activities, which limits schools to 20 hours of practice time while classes are in session.
“When you don’t have class, there is no limit to CARA hours,” he said, noting that Texas started classes later. “It created some disadvantages. It all goes back to what’s countable CARA hours, NCAA structure. The portal is the next big conversation after the House case and truly what kind of rules can we set? Will we have the authority around transfer rules to set some parameters?”
Bjork said the transfer portal needs to move to a 10-day period in May for fall sports because if the NCAA House settlement is approved, most of the players are going to be signing revenue share agreements with the schools from July 1 to June 30.
“May makes the most sense” to align player contracts with the portal, Bjork said.
Bjork, who said he’s on the implementation committee for the House settlement, said “if everyone follows the structure, it’s going to be a great structure.”
“And everyone has to follow the rules,” he said, “and agree that this is the structure, which we have to. If we don’t do that, then what good is the settlement?”
CLEVELAND — New York Yankees designated hitter Giancarlo Stanton took batting practice with teammates Tuesday as he continues to recover from elbow issues.
Stanton took swings before the game at Progressive Field as the Yankees prepared for the middle game of their series against the Cleveland Guardians.
While Stanton has been working behind the scenes, this was the first time he has taken outdoor batting practice. Manager Aaron Boone did not mention anything about Stanton’s progress during his pregame availability.
Stanton, 35, has been dealing with tendinitis in both elbows, with the ailment known as “tennis elbow” shutting him down since spring training. He has said his elbows also bothered him last season and that it’s a matter of pain tolerance.
The team does not have a timetable for Stanton’s return to their lineup. It’s likely he’ll have to go on a minor league rehab assignment before he’s ready to play in major league games.
Stanton is in his eighth season with New York. Last season, he hit 27 homers and drove in 72 runs in 114 games, and in the postseason, he was among the club’s top hitters. As the Yankees advanced to the World Series, he finished with 15 hits, including seven home runs, and 16 RBIs.
Stanton has 429 homers in 15 seasons with the Yankees and Marlins.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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