Week 7 picks are in for Joe vs. the Pro and the Hero

Celebrated from coast to coast by sports fans, bag men, bartenders, mafia kings and mathematicians, Joe vs. the Pro and the Hero is the greatest resource for college football shenanigans on the internet. This is the 15th season for Joe vs. the Pro and the Hero in its various forms.

This is the second season of the grand experiment for readers to get in on the action. Sign up for Joe’s newsletter, “SPORTS! Happy Hour,” to keep up with who wins the 6-0 Challenge each week. Make your and compare your wits against the experts (and Joe). Win the 6-0 Challenge and enjoy eternal glory. The newsletter comes out every Thursday afternoon at 4:20 p.m. Enter your email to subscribe.

Joe subscribes to ol’ Billy Shakespeare’s philosophy of picking football games. “Jesters do oft prove prophets,” mused the Great Bard. What is Joe vs. the Pro and the Hero? Consider it a gift to society.

THE GRAND EXPERIMENT

Joseph Goodman is the lead sports columnist for AL.com. What happens when a sportswriter picks some of the toughest games of the week and goes head-to-head against a sharp and a football expert with a Harvard education? It’s a gift for college football fans every week in the state where college football is like a religion.

The Pro is Lee Sterling, a noted numbers man of national success. Sterling features his best picks on his website, ParamountSports.com, but The Pro fearlessly picks the most difficult college games of the week against Joe and the Hero. Joe is just a hack and a slacker who everyone loves to hate.

No one works harder than Hero Ben Abercrombie. Ben played football at Hoover High School and Harvard, and he’s working every day to regain his ability to walk. He’s a student at Harvard, and an inspiration to all. To thank him, we want everyone to stand up for Ben and show him some love.

Show Joe no love at all. Besmirch his name at small dinner parties, and troll him with signs on ESPN College GameDay.

6-0 CHALLENGE

Click the link here to make your picks for Week 7 of the 6-0 Challenge. We’re also embedding the picks form each week in Joe’s Tuesday column on the SEC and here in Joe vs. the Pro and the Hero. Weekly winners of the 6-0 Challenge will be announced in Joe’s newsletter. Sign up for the newsletter here and scroll down to make your picks at the bottom of this post. Remember, picks are against the spread.

LAST WEEK

Joe: 2-4 straight up, 3-3 against the spread

Pro: 2-4 straight up, 1-5 against the spread

Hero: 4-2 straight up, 0-6 against the spread

Notes: Everyone took a bath and the Hero even had to give his collared shirt to Alabama coach Kalen DeBoer. Joe someone picked Vandy, Cal and Auburn to cover, so he wins the wild week.

SEASON TOTALS

Joe: 18-18 straight up, 14-22 against the spread

Pro: 25-11 straight up, 21-15 against the spread

Hero: 26-10 straight up, 12-24 against the spread

Notes: Can Joe finish the season with a losing record straight up? We don’t think it’s ever happened in the history of college football, but he’s willing to give it a try in the name of science.

No.1 Texas (5-0, 1-0) at No.18 Oklahoma (4-1, 1-1)

When: 2:30 p.m., Sat.

Where: Cotton Bowl, Dallas, Texas

TV: ABC and ESPN+

Series: Texas leads 63-51-5.

Spread: Texas by 14.

Total: 50.5

Trendy: Texas is 4-1 against the spread this season. OU is 7-0 against the spread in its last seven games as an underdog of 10.5 points or greater, per the bookies.

TEXAS GAME NOTES: Texas enters the Red River Rivalry ranked No.1 in the country in one of the two major polls for the sixth time, and the first time since 1984 (40 years ago). That game was a No.1-vs.-No.2 matchup and played to a 15-all tie.

Joe says: The SEC’s first Red River Rivalry. Breathe in the moment, Texas and OU. Relish being the third- or fourth-best rivalry in the SEC behind the Iron Bowl, Egg Bowl and, for this season at least, maybe even Tennessee vs. Vanderbilt. Texas is the big favorite here, but this game tends to get weird like any good rivalry. Texas quarterback Quinn Ewers is expected to be back from his injury (oblique strain), so that should give the Longhorns an edge.

Joe’s pick: Texas 24, Oklahoma 21

Pro says: Longhorns looking for revenge after losing last season 34-30 as a five-point favorite. Quinn Ewers threw for 371 yards in that game but two key interceptions greased the skids. Ewers will probably get the start after missing the last couple games due to injury. If he doesn’t look sharp, then Arch Manning — possibly the best backup in college football — is ready to step in. Oklahoma has turned to backup true freshman quarterback Michael Hawkins after Jackson Arnold hasn’t looked like the answer. Texas has two future NFL starting quarterbacks while Oklahoma appears to have none.

Pro’s pick: Texas 34, Oklahoma 14

Hero says: Oklahoma pulled the upset last year in the Red River Rivalry after Texas destroyed them the year before. Texas quarterback Quinn Ewers will return to action this game and he or his backup Arch Manning give the Longhorns a huge edge over the Sooners true freshman quarterback Michael Hawkins, Jr. The Texas defense can limit the Oklahoma’s run offense and force the Sooners to try to win with an inconsistent passing game. The strong Oklahoma defense may also limit the Longhorn’s running game, but I don’t think they will be able to stop their effective passing game.

Hero’s pick: Texas 31, Oklahoma 15

Florida (3-2, 1-1) at No.8 Tennessee (4-1, 1-1)

When: 6 p.m., Sat.

Where: Neyland Stadium, Knoxville, Tenn.

TV: ESPN

Series: Florida leads 32-21.

Spread: Tennessee by 15.5.

Total: 55.5

Trendy: Florida is 118th nationally in third-quarter scoring.

TENNESSEE GAME NOTES: This is Tennessee’s latest SEC home opener on the calendar since Oct.13, 1990, when it defeated Florida 45-3.

Joe says: Florida upset Tennessee last season in The Swamp, so revenge will be on the minds of the Vols. On top of that, Tennessee lost last week to Arkansas. It all spells certain doom for the Gators. On top of that, Hurricane Milton has thrown major disruptions into UF’s game week. I know UF has won two in a row, but this is pointing towards an orange-and-white checkerboard blowout. Give me the points and roll the joints.

Joe’s pick: Tennessee 35, Florida 18

Pro says: The Vols beat the Gators about once a decade, 2-17 straight up and now you want me to lay more than two touchdowns when you’re averaging less than 20 points per game on offense in two SEC games? Tennessee is also banged up at the receiver position. Florida won last year 29-16 and hung close two years ago in Knoxville only losing by five. Gator quarterback Graham Mertz and the defense seem to be gaining confidence with easy wins over Mississippi State and UCF.

Pro’s pick: Tennessee 28, Florida 20

Hero says: The Gators are riding a two-game winning streak while the Vols will try to recharge their offense that struggled in a loss to Arkansas last week. Even though I think Florida can be competitive in this game, I have more confidence in Tennessee being able to reestablish the running game on offense that will give Vols quarterback Nico Iamaleava more downfield passing opportunities.

Hero’s pick: Tennessee 31, Florida 17

No.2 Ohio State (5-0, 2-0) at No.3 Oregon (5-0, 2-0)

When: 6:30 p.m., Sat.

Where: Autzen Stadium, Eugene, Ore.

TV: NBC

Series: Ohio State leads 9-1.

Spread: Ohio State by 4.

Total: 53.5

Trendy: Ducks are 1-4 against the spread this season.

OREGON GAME NOTES: This will be the first showdown of top-five teams in Autzen Stadium history. A win against No.2 Ohio State would be Oregon’s highest-ranked victory in its storied home stadium.

Joe says: The big game of the week and the Ducks are 9-3 all time when ESPN College GameDay is on site. Oregon will need all the help it can get from its home crowd. Last week, the Buckeyes averaged 6.3 yards per play against Iowa and the Hawkeyes couldn’t keep up. Autzen will be rocking and UO is ranked No.10 nationally in total defense (263.4 ypg). I still don’t think it’s going to be enough to slow down Ohio State’s dynamic offense. The running back combo of TreVeyon Henderson and Quinshon Judkins is just too good. Welcome to the Big Ten, Autzen.

Joe’s pick: Ohio State 28, Oregon 21

Pro says: The Ducks defense faced one Top 50 offense this season at home vs Boise State and gave up 34 points and allowed 221 rushing yards. They got bailed out when they returned a punt and kickoff for a touchdown in the second half of that contest. Oregon quarterback Dillon Gabriel has thrown three key red zone interceptions this season and Ohio State’s skill players at running back and wide receiver are flat out better than anything the Ducks can roll out. Ducks coach Dan Lanning is also a less-than-stellar 1-2 against the spread record as an underdog in his two-plus seasons in Eugene. If Nike owner and Oregon super booster Phil Knight wants to win a natty, then he better start adding more zeros to the end of each potential recruits contract.

Pro’s pick: Ohio State 34, Oregon 26

Hero says: The Buckeyes finally play a decent team this Saturday on the road in Oregon. The Ducks offense, led by transfer quarterback Dillon Gabriel is starting to jell, but the Buckeyes’ top-ranked defense will be difficult to move. The Ohio State offense is very talented, led by Kansas State transfer quarterback Will Howard, Ole Miss transfer running back Quinshon Judkins and true freshman receiver Jeremiah Smith. With the help of the rowdy Autzen Stadium crowd, I believe Oregon coach Dan Lanning’s defense can create enough confusion for the Buckeyes’ offense to force mistakes and open the door for a Duck upset.

Hero’s pick: Oregon 27, Ohio State 24

No.9 Ole Miss (5-1, 1-1) at No.13 LSU (4-1, 1-0)

When: 6:30 p.m., Sat.

Where: Tiger Stadium, Baton Rouge, La.

TV: ABC and ESPN+

Series: LSU leads 65-42-4.

Spread: Ole Miss by 3.

Total: 63.5

Trendy: Tigers are 5-0 against the spread in their last five games in October, per the bookies. Ole Miss is 5-1 against the spread this season, including 2-0 on the road.

OLE MISS GAME NOTES: Defensive tackle JJ Pegues, a transfer from Auburn, owns four rushing touchdowns this season. That’s the most by a D-lineman in at least the last 20 years, per ESPN.

Joe says: This rivalry game already feels like a fight for playoff survival. Ole Miss favored at night in Death Valley? Is Lane Kiffin still the coach? Let’s just say that I’m skeptical. Ole Miss won 55-49 last season. It was one of the games of the year. This one is going to be another flood of offense. I know Ole Miss receiver Tre Harris is having a big year, but something tells me to take the team with future NFL pass catcher Kyren Lacy. That’d be LSU.

Joe’s pick: LSU 38, Ole Miss 35

Pro says: LSU is a stellar 4-1-1 against the spread as a home underdog since 2021 and coming off of a bye. Why can’t I back the Tigers in this spot? They’ve rushed for under 135 yards against three Power 4 conference opponents and allowed 243 to a bottom feeding South Carolina offense.

Pro’s pick: Mississippi 35, LSU 28

Hero says: Lane Kiffin’s Rebels will face a rowdy crowd in Baton Rouge, but they are battle tested after the last two weeks of SEC contests and led on offense by experienced quarterback Jaxson Dart. LSU quarterback Garrett Nussmeier is also battle tested and has had a great season so far with 15 touchdown passes. Right now, I have more confidence in the Rebels’ defense to get a few more stops than the Tigers’ defense, so Ole Miss should earn a huge victory on the road.

Hero’s pick: Ole Miss 28, LSU 24

No.18 Kansas State (4-1, 1-1) at Colorado (4-1, 2-0)

When: 9:15 p.m., Sat.

Where: Folsom Field, Boulder, Colo.

TV: ESPN

Series: Colorado leads 45-20-1.

Spread: Kansas State by 5.5.

Total: 56.5

Trendy: Sharps say that Kansas State is 0-5 against the spread in its last five games as a road favorite.

COLORADO GAME NOTES: When Coach Prime was hired, CU football had 62,953 followers on Instagram Today, the Buffs are up to 1,041,411 followers on Instagram.

Joe says: Colorado is one of my favorite teams to watch. Coach Prime has the Buffs one big win away from being ranked and here come the Wildcats. The Buffs played in so many close losses last season and no one gave Coach Prime any credit for keeping his team motivated every week. Two seasons in, and Coach Prime’s Buffs are starting to show signs of a contender. Shedeur Sanders and Travis Hunter will roll in this one.

Joe’s pick: Colorado 41, Kansas State 30

Pro says: The primetime start should have the Boulder crowd super pumped. The Buffalo run defense, which has given up 130 plus rushing yards even to bottom feeder Colorado State and FCS North Dakota State, is a real problem. There’ll be no “Hail Mary” to bail them out, and it wouldn’t surprise me if this is the second loss in the season that may lead Deion Sanders into an early retirement.

Pro’s pick: Kansas State 38, Colorado 27

Hero says: Colorado proved me and Nick Saban wrong by beating UCF on the road two weeks ago while K-State bounced back from a beatdown by BYU to beat Okie State last week. There is a great quarterback matchup in this game with Colorado’s talented Shedeur Sanders leading Colorado and dual-threat quarterback Avery Johnson leading K-State. I could see this game going either way, but it is difficult to pick against the Buffaloes in Boulder after their dramatic win at home over Baylor.

Hero’s pick: Colorado 31, Kansas State 27

South Carolina (3-2, 1-2) at No.7 Alabama (4-1, 1-1)

When: 11 a.m., Sat.

Where: Bryant-Denny Stadium, Tuscaloosa, Ala.

TV: ABC and ESPN+

Series: Alabama leads 11-4.

Spread: Alabama by 21.5.

Total: 50.5

Trendy: According to Vegas loan sharks, Gamecocks are 1-4 against the spread in their last five games in October.

ALABAMA GAME NOTES: Alabama won 23 straight games in a row against unranked opponents before losing to Vanderbilt last week.

Joe says: This is all about heart. I honestly feel bad for the Gamecocks, which have a decent team but now catch Alabama after that historic loss to Vanderbilt. There’s no way Alabama drops two in a row to unranked teams, right? Malachi Moore will have the defense focused after his eventful week. Coach Kalen DeBoer’s team will show up in a double-breasted suit (metaphorically speaking) and establish some pride in the Tide.

Joe’s pick: Alabama 42, South Carolina 15

Pro says: Obviously Alabama didn’t play well last week in their shocking loss at Vanderbilt, but ‘Dores quarterback Diego Pavia was underrated and played one of the greatest games by a quarterback in Vanderbilt history. Sorry if that hurts your feelings Jay Cutler. Now at home in a foul mood, the Alabama defense gets to face career backup LaNorris Sellers who has all of two touchdown passes this season while throwing three interceptions. He looks like he might be a fullback or tight end by this time next season. In Nick Saban’s last 10 years, he was 8-0 straight up after a loss with the average win by 23.3 points. Even though Nick isn’t around, enough players will spark the Tide to a blowout win.

Pro’s pick: Alabama 45, South Carolina 13

Hero says: South Carolina coach Shane Beamer will certainly try to follow the Vanderbilt winning formula of controlling the football on offense and limiting possessions for the Bama offense. One issue for the Gamecocks is that freshman quarterback LaNorris Sellers is not as skilled at this point as Vandy’s quarterback Diego Pavia. The Alabama defense will try to pressure Sanders to create turnovers or at least stop third-down conversions. The Bama offense will face a very tough Gamecocks’ front four on defense that will put pressure on Tide quarterback Jalen Milroe and make it difficult for Bama to establish their running game. This could be a slugfest that goes down to the last play, but I expect the Gamecocks’ offense to make enough mistakes to provide the Tide a more comfortable win at home in Bryant-Denny.

Hero’s pick: Alabama 36, South Carolina 14