College football is back, which means Chris Hummer and I are once again putting our reputations — and sometimes questionable decision-making -- on the line every week. This tradition dates back a decade to our days together at 247Sports, where we learned quickly that predicting results against the spread can humble anyone by Saturday night. The format remains simple: We'll select the biggest games on the schedule each week, make our picks against the number and explain where the value lies.
We'll also keep a running tally throughout the season, celebrating the winners and publicly documenting every bad beat, missed read and selection we immediately regret. There will be disagreements, upsets and inevitable overreactions. The goal is profitability.
The reality is accountability. Either way, every pick will be here for everyone to judge. Hummer (TCU -7.5): It's easy to dunk on North Carolina after last season, but I do think the Tar Heels can present value to betters this year.
They got better as the 2025 campaign went along, and there's more talent on the roster than people think. All that said, give me TCU to win and cover. I know exactly what I'm getting from TCU: an experienced roster with a clear identity on both sides of the ball.
The final result won't be as one-sided as last year's 48-14 TCU win, but the Horned Frogs do enough to cover. … TCU 31, North Carolina 20. Crawford (TCU -7.5): International games often produce sluggish starts, communication issues and unexpected mistakes. Those concerns are magnified in an offense breaking in a new centerpiece.
That's the case on both sides, with Harvard transfer Jaden Craig operating the Horned Frogs and Billy Edwards at the controls for the Tar Heels. Bobby Petrino will eventually get North Carolina moving, but asking everything to click immediately feels ambitious. TCU's defense should control the game's tempo and perhaps capitalize on UNC's early growing pains. ...
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