College Football Pick'em Pool Picks (Week 11 2024) - Targets, Avoids, Predictions for ESPN Pick'em Contests

Our Mike Marteny lays out the confidence points in ESPN College Pick'em for Week 11 of the 2024 NCAA college football season. Which upsets have the best chance of happening?

I missed my 10-pointer again and missed another high game because Bhayshul Tuten and Kyron Drones both missed the Syracuse game. Ouch! Amazingly, "Bluestar" had a perfect week in the RotoBaller reader's group this week. "mr_richard" was the only other entry to hit 40 points. That caused a bit of chaos at the top.

The big week from "mr_richard" moves him back into first place by nine points over "IUBB1!" and "EAGLESYANKEES77" who are tied for second. "lbockenek" is just one point behind them and "big papi10" is just one point behind her.

There are only eight more entries within 20 points of the top 5. There is a lot more separation now in the quest for RotoBaller's premium memberships.

College Football Pick'em Overview

This article will be about confidence game mode. You can also read my against-the-spread picks here every week for every game, so you know how I'm leaning toward that version of the game. If you also want to play the spread version, you can join that group here.

Let's get to the countdown! I will count them from least confident (1) to most (10). You know, for dramatic effect. If I change my pick or points sometime during the week, I will try to update the article or post it on X. Otherwise, you will know all of my picks each week.

(1) Boston College over Syracuse

The public is heavy on the Orange, but except for the UNLV game, the Orange have not played well on the road. This is a winnable home game for Boston College, especially with Thomas Castellanos feeling better than he has since September. I'll try and steal a point here.

(2) South Carolina over Vanderbilt

The Gamecocks should have beaten LSU and could have beaten Alabama, all with a freshman at quarterback. This Vanderbilt team has heart, but sometimes that alone isn't enough. The public is evenly split on this one. Truth be told, I am too.

Carolina just demolished a pretty good A&M team. I'm not sure the Dores could do the same. That gives South Carolina the leg up, even in Nashville.

(3) LSU over Alabama

This one is essentially a playoff game. A two-loss SEC team will get into the playoff, but a three-loss SEC team will not. LSU's one advantage is that one of their losses was not in the conference. The bad news is that it was to USC.

The loser of this game is out of the expanded playoff. Even the winner of this game will have a tough time, especially if they manage to get to the SEC Championship and lose a third time. If you thought 2023 was chaos, this is going to be 10 times worse.  But hey, at least we still get one regular-season playoff game!

Not looking good for the Alabama vs. LSU game in Baton Rouge at 6:30 pm. #RollTide #GeauxTigers #Hurricane pic.twitter.com/l9g6yKVMfn

— MattHasTweets (@MattHasTweets_) November 4, 2024

This has to favor the team that is better at running the ball. Right now, that's LSU. Also...it's a night game in Red Stick. LSU doesn't lose night games in Red Stick.

(4) Georgia over Mississippi

Jaxson Dart Christmas treed the Hogs in Fayetteville last week. Don't expect a repeat against the Georgia defense. Go ask Quinn Ewers how that went. He's still sore from facing these guys.

(5) Colorado over Texas Tech

We could make a strong case that Colorado is the best Big 12 (14) team outside of BYU in the last six weeks or so. Deion Sanders has this team firing on all cylinders and even playing a little defense for good measure.

(6) Navy over South Florida

Byrum Brown: Not guaranteed starting job - https://t.co/R0jeHVn1zH

— RotoWire?CFB (@RotoWireCFB) November 1, 2024

Yeah, Notre Dame broke Navy, but USF is immediately disqualified from winning if they are seriously considering moving on from Byrum Brown. What are they even doing?

(7) Iowa State over Kansas

97% of the public is on Iowa State. I am too, but I'm limiting my points exposure here. The Cyclones have been abused by running backs in the last two weeks. Kansas probably isn't going to win this game, but they are capable of winning this...especially if Devin Neal gets to the Cyclones like RJ Harvey and Tahj Brooks did.

(8) BYU over Utah

This is called the Holy War for a reason. I don't like having it this high up the list, but Utah is a mess without Cameron Rising.

Just a friendly reminder that the Team Down South has this record against Utah in the Holy War.

It doesn't matter what the records are & how we're playing, this is one game that we'll reach beyond our grasp to win.

It's always been close.

Have faith Ute fam.

Go Utes! pic.twitter.com/vjmuRvCU5A

— The Utah Pig Bus (@UtahPigBus) October 28, 2024

(9) Clemson over Virginia Tech

I might move this down. Tech almost beat the other orange ACC team without Kyron Drones and Bhayshul Tuten. Tuten is likely to play this week, but Drones was still in a boot on the sidelines last week. If last week is any indication, we're not going to find out any statuses until it's too late.

That said, the Tech loss to Syracuse is the kind of thing that could get the entire coaching staff fired. This was right up there with Mario Cristobal and Miami against Georgia Tech last year.

Clemson should be the better team regardless of the status of Tuten and Drones, but I would feel better about this if we knew who was playing and who was not.

(10) Army over North Texas

The status of Bryson Daily doesn't mean much. North Texas still can't play defense...

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