Zack Gray joins Jonathan Smith to give you college football bets and discuss upcoming games

it's the top of the hour been teasing it all day my guy the best sports G that I know my guy Zack gr joins the show Zack what's going on man Jay Smith it's a beautiful Friday Thursday and college football is back dude it's it could be raining right now and it still be a beautiful Thursday just because as you said college football's back I've been annoying everyone today like talking about Colorado North Dakota State like completely obscure FBS FCS games tonight that I am just pumped for is is the Colorado North Dakota State game obscure though I feel like everyone's gonna be tuned in even though Colorado went 4 and8 last year and usually people wouldn't care well everyone is a hater with Colorado you included so it's like I I have to make I have to be the supporter of the Ohio area because I I don't know anyone else that likes Colorado fair enough I I don't I don't know anyone that that really likes him either that's not true they like I think I don't know Bleacher Report seems to really like him Nike clearly likes him I don't know if you saw that that was a sick campaign that was a that was a really good way to introduce uh partnership it was but I'm sitting there I'm like why are they signing a quarterback that went 4 and8 last year oh here we go I think it's a fair question Jo joined by my guy Zack gray professional sports uh Gambler just does a f a fantastic job but I'm just saying I feel like that's something that we should note even though it is even though to be fair he probably will be the the number one overall pick yeah they have two top 10 draft picks on their roster and we just hate them I don't know man I I I don't know I just I'm just not I don't think I hate them I'm just not a believer in them eventually being good at some point I think that's a little more accurate well we we'll see but I uh I just I just am excited for this little appetizer you know today um you know if you check my Twitter I have a a play for tomorrow as well um you know so I'm kind of getting into the Rhythm tonight and then tomorrow is when we'll see you know the grap Vine come out what are the plays that you you like for tonight I know you you you sent me a couple and I don't want to go off script so what are the plays that you like for really just all all all the college football games this uh weekend including tonight and tomorrow yeah so uh there was a time where I was leaning Colorado um that line I think I haven't checked it today but I think it got all the way up to like 10 10 and a half there's some injuries for North Dakota State I believe some I think their best players is hurt but um so nothing there but tomorrow night there's a play um if you go to the Twitter but two plays that I really really like this weekend are Troy minus8 and a half and Penn State minus 8 um you know we could you know I know you have your thoughts about Penn State so I don't know where you want to start but those are my two plays you know if you don't check my Twitter if you don't go to my patreon those are the two to get introduced to what I do over here um so yeah Penn State or or Troy which one you want to talk about let's start with Penn State because you're right I'm I'm not a pin State guy I I think that they're overrated every year but with that being said I don't think that West Virginia is very good when the line came out and they were favored by eight I was like that felt low so I'm with you I like Pinn state to cover that but when it comes to Troy gota be honest don't know anything about Troy so if you want to Enlighten us on that after you you give me your thoughts on the on the Penn State game yeah so so the Penn State thing I feel like it's super trendy right now to like be on the West Virginia bandwagon and I kind of understand it Garrick green um you know starting to become a pretty darn good college quarterback only had five turnovers last year you know they returning some guys their back Field's good like they're a good team they're solid big team but at the end of the day like I don't think they even come close to the talent level of Penn State and you know this is the same coach that that was on the hot seat just last season before they went on their run the fans wanted him gone like like legitimately they wanted him fired in the middle of the season after their start and now all of a sudden I'm supposed to buy into the fact that they're going to make a run for the Big 12 make a run for the playoff no Penn State has a new offensive coordin orator um I don't want to butcher his name I believe it's colon Nikki and uh you know he's coming in I don't think that it fit last year with Aller it's make or break for him if he wants to you know earn some money a high round draft pick in the NFL it's time to get going their backs are awesome we all know Singleton um but yeah it it just all lines up for me and my my projection backs it up that this this game is going to be at least 10 plus I don't see how it mean you know the road crowd maybe but still Penn State's used to playing in the big house in Ohio State like the road crowd isn't really going to be a big impact for me but yeah I I just think that there's too much hype on West Virginia and I'm kind of playing against the the hype in the market I I complet completely agree with you once again joined by my guy Zack gray professional sports Gambler clearly he knows his stuff I'm with you like what let's let's be just brutally honest about Penn State they're more talented than everybody not named Georgia Ohio State Oregon like they're they are who the the college football playoff expansion was made for the team that's not quite good enough to be top four but they're like seven eight n like that that's who Penn State is that's who I expect them to be and look when you're more talented especially in the trenches which is where I think Penn State also has an advantage over West Virginia I think they're just G to kind of move West Virginia around they'll win by two touchdowns that's that's kind of how how I feel about it my projections have the final score being 33 to9 so you know not a crazy not I mean Penn State's not going to come out and whip him like you know they're not going to beat him you know 42 to 10 but I think they'll pull away um that's yeah yeah like late touchdown like late touchdown cover yeah yeah exactly exactly like hopefully not with four seconds left in the game though hopefully not let's let's move to Troy because you texted me about that one specifically wanting to talk about it and it just shows why why the service you offer in terms of the sports gambling is great so if you want to elaborate on that I will give you the floor I think this is another uh me going against the market and you know the hype because we just watched Nevada play SMU down to the wire you know Cho is their new coach and you know he he's he's a good coach and there's just a lot of uh like course correction on Nevada like people thought they were going to win like one or two games this year and I still think they only win one or two games I think we see this a lot I think we see this a lot early in the season with these bad teams like other their opponents are trying to figure themselves out throughout the season Nevada's playing with their hair on fire already like they know they're out match they know they're out class while other teams are trying to feel it out I just think that SMU game last week we're going to look back on that and say dang what happened there smu's pretty good and Nevada's got one win um so and my projections have Troy winning by like 177 and the line's eight and a half so it it's a it's an automatic play for me Troy is always talented I know they lost a lot of guys and um they don't I think they only have four total returning starters this year um but they're always talented they're in a recruiting hot bed down there I think they're they're I think they're just going to put it on them joined by Zack gray follow on Twitter at zg the Grapevine for all of these wonderful college football plays he'll have NFL plays too whenever the the NFL season starts but that that line opened at like six right and then it moved to eight and a half correct that so good segue Jonathan that was James Madison there it is that's the third one which J James Madison's perfect for these IU people because Kurt zetti coming from James Madison uh I love Kurt edti geeez man he he always makes me smile he always has audio for me to play whenever he speaks which is great I'm glad he's in the Big 10 I like him like I I gota be honest I didn't watch a ton of James Madison last year to be fair but the way that he talks man like he he expects to win and that's where I think it really starts with anything if you have guys showing up and they're like God it's going to take us a few years it's that's that's a red flag for me like I want guys to show up and expect to win immediately insigned definitely does that he won it James Madison from my understanding they're kind of in a good place to recruit they're traditionally a pretty good program you've got them to cover you you got them at minus six now the line's up to minus eight eight and a half what did you see with them why do you like JMU this year yeah it's something that we talked about off air I just kind of wanted to highlight it you know to to kind of highlight the services that the patreon offers so I released my projections on Tuesday when JMU was minus 6 so if if I release my projections on Tuesday and and I got a minus six it's all the way up to minus8 now you got two and a half points of clv closing line value so that's just kind of one of the things that I that you know I think my service offers we get in the market early at the best line and kind of you know have that cushion there of what the public now thinks and what's being bet handle hold all that stuff so just a value value that I wanted to to relay but like we have to stop acting like James Madison isn't wasn't an FCS Powerhouse for years and then came up to the FBS and immediately won and I think you know you can draw a lot of comparisons with James Madison and North Dakota State North Dakota state had has had like four or five coaches since they started their run and all they do is win so I think it's just one of those programs where we see cetti leave um and we automatically assume like rebuild or down I still think they win nine 10 games this year I think they have the roster to do it they're talented and they have some guys on the defense that I think are like future NFL players so like a lot of you can tell early on with not a lot of Da data in the first part of the Season you can tell it's a lot of um you know projection obviously but it's also kind of you know the market isn't settled in yet so you can kind of find those holes off public opinion and off the you know the vibe of each team to kind of get those plays in like I have yeah and look I I say it all the time before you come on that you're you're one of the better you're you're you are the best sports Gambler that I know and that's with all all the respect to the sack man who does a lot of G gambling stuff on Dan show um once again joined by my guy Zack gray follow him on Twitter at zg theeg Grapevine you can find his patreon in the link in his bio all right zg so yesterday do first off before I move on do you have any other picks that you want to go into yeah uh no no more picks they're all on my Twitter you can find every projection for every game but I did wantan to did want to highlight starting today through the end of October 40% off all of my college football and NFL picks on patreon so if you go to my Twitter sign up you get 40% off each month you get both uh every week so uh had to plug myself J Smith come on of course yeah yeah I get it that's that's part of why you want it's nice so yesterday I officially locked in my predictions for the upcoming college football season I have and I've got Oregon winning the Big 10 and don't ha it I love Ohio like I don't love Ohio State I love their team this year I think they're awesome but that game being in Eugene when they play each other I think that's the difference that allows them to be you know undefeated in the Big 10 and so I I I took them to win it I I do obviously have Ohio State making M making the at llarge bids but here's here's my question and this is something that I haven't heard anyone else talk about Notre Dame not being in a conference you know how like there's a group of five team that makes the playoff would Notre Dame not be that team I don't think so treat Notre Dame they give I by the way I am not a big Notre Dame guy but they they give Notre Dame a ton of like weird privileges because they're independent so like there's there's scenarios like the reason why they are okay with not getting a buy is because they scenarios where they're playing the easiest schedule through the playoffs as a five seed like but I don't think it counts as a as a group of five team but yeah I just had to get that off because Notre Dame's like oh poor me poor me I can't get a buy knowing darn well exactly why they chose not to yeah that's that's very much how and like they do get a buy they don't have to play Conference Championship game like that that is the buy and so I was because like I was sitting down and I was making my uh predictions and I was like who's my group of five team is it could it be Notre Dame like is that how that works my group of five team though is the the University of Texas at San Antonio ro road runners wow I love that that is like I'm sitting here I'm looking at everyone's like Boise State Boise State and I'm like Boise State lost their starting quarterback he's gone Go Go hogs by the Way's he's gonna start for for Arkansas this year and it's like oh well they had this big time five star transfer former festar transfer come in and it's like no that guy's the backup so people are loving Boise State I've seen some people on Memphis a little bit of uh Appalachian State as well Liberty too those are the big ones I've heard too and I'm looking at UT I'm like Jeff trailer has shown up and done nothing but win there consistently 12-2 in 2021 11 and3 in 2022 nine and four last year I'm willing to bet that he wins 10 games this year coming out of the American so I I like UTSA who is kind of your off theboard playoff pick for for this year so I I've already kind of uh I've already kind of mentioned it but I I do think that that JMU has a chance to kind of keep it up um like I think I think they're severely underrated I think you know I think they're as talented as any of the teams that you just said I think they can certainly do it it's just a matter of you know seeing this this new coach kind of be consistent and go through it I like JMU and I I think I think if I had to pick from the group the original group we just said I think UTSA would be on the board but I like Liberty I do There's Something About Liberty like um I know we saw him last year get destroyed by Oregon and you know it could be perceived as a you know one hit wonder type of thing but I think they're they have just gotten better and better and better every year so I think I think Liberty's a candidate to be like the next Boise state joined by Zach gray follow on Twitter at zg the Great Vine for all of your winning G gambling picks so Liberty is interesting because they kind of rose to power when Hugh freeze was there he's not there anymore and look like whether you like hre or not he a good football coach he's not there coached from a hospital bed you have to like him yeah that's so true it's so true and the thing with my thing with liberty and you're like I don't know what it is about Liberty and the answer is they're incredibly soft schedule like they're probably gonna go undefeated they don't really play anybody so they're they're probably the the safe pick I think the other like did you ever make a prediction and you like surprise yourself because you realize that because I said this therefore like this other thing has to happen has that ever like happened to you yeah where you're get where you like it's going through a season or something and like you're like oh crap like I this this team that I like has to do this because I have this predic yeah definitely and that's a bad spot to be in and I find myself in that spot an awful lot with with betting so I think the Big 12 only gets one team into the playoff and I think it's Utah but you could tell me that it's going to be Ariz Iona or Kansas State or even Kansas but like I was sitting here and I was like I don't know I think that the Big 10 gets three teams in Oregon Ohio State Penn State I think the SEC I think I've got them as as four teams that get in Georgia Alabama Texas and Old Miss I think Notre Dame gets in and I think the ACC gets two teams in in Miami and Clemson I'm sitting here I'm I'm looking at the the Big 12 you you grimaced a little bit when I said that do you not like Clemson or Miami I just think there's more of a chance that the non that a fourth non Big 10 team gets in over a non-ac champ team that's totally fair so so you think that Michigan would have a better chance of getting in over Clemson yeah I mean if if it was similar similar resumés in terms of record and Conference play I think the nod goes to the Big 10 in this new system almost every time at this point that's that's totally fair I wouldn't mind that but but even even if that happens like no second Big 12 team which is which feels really weird because I thought coming into like okay like every conference probably get to secc Big 12 you know or Big 12 I mean the the Big 10 like they probably have three or four but I don't know man like when I look at the big 12 they're also even like they are the AFC South of college football where they're like I've got some question marks I think a lot of the teams are are really similar I think like we look at that conference and we come out of it and we're like gez like everyone's nine and three yeah so I know you can kind of feel that push and pull from the media and the Big 12 Conference like it's it's on the side of like everyone's going to disregard the Big 12 they're going to cannibalize each other there's no great teams there's no good teams and you have the big 12 trying to Brand itself as the deepest conference in football as you know the most competitive cross like top to bottom conference in football I think that's been an interesting offseason storyline on how we're going to view the Big 12 this season I don't think anyone really knows um but yeah I think that something to look out for just like off storylines and and media purposes is how the big 12 is perceived throughout the season because if it's you know just right now knowing the ACC knowing the Big 12 you know if it was similar resumés and you had to fill one of those last spots in the playoffs are you picking the Big 12 I think I think you'd rather I think you're picking a Clemson Miami yep that's that's exactly how how I feel about it um oh man I'm I'm so I'm so ready man like you know I'm I'm I would consider myself once again Jo joined by my good friend Zack gray follow on Twitter at zg the Grapevine for all of your gambling selections so I would consider myself a bit of a college football purist like I don't love really and but like I I get it like like we want to be more inclusive we want for more teams to feel like they have success you know everybody gets a trophy I get it I get it but it's I gotta be honest though like I'm excited to debate with people about why nine and three so and so should get in over 10 and two so and so I think it's going to be a lot of fun that's way more fun than trying to pick you know four teams uh out of five great teams in a four team set I would rather debate the edges than the than the top than you and I the top deserves to play and that shouldn't even be a question the debate should be around the edges and I think we kind of finally found that yeah it's it's GNA be fun it's it's going to be to be interesting I have to ask you you don't have to give bets but just who you think wins because we've got some pretty big Marquee games coming up this week on the schedule I can't wait it get started tonight 7:30 Arkansas against Arkansas at Pine Bluff I know that's one that everyone has circled um can you believe that there are people in the chat here on YouTube who thought that I didn't know who Matt Jones was I I can't believe it but anyway we we don't have to talk about that seriously though Colorado North Dakota State tonight I know which way you're leaning but you can go ahead and tell the people yeah think Colorado wins I don't think they I you know 10 11 12 kind of the margin of Victory um but yeah I don't are you concerned at all about just like like the newness of the roster like it's five new offensive linemen like like part of why I like for for for North Dakota state to cover tonight is just because like they're a pretty solidified unit like there hasn't been a lot of change whereas like for Colorado it's a lot of these guys first games playing for Colorado yeah I just I think specifically on the offensive line is where we will see a pretty big Improvement um you know they they did recy like cycle out a ton of players on both sides of ball that's the Dion way but I think they're better I think they're just more talented I think they're bigger I think they they're more physical specifically on the offensive line Jordan SE a true freshman's gonna start like Ohio State wanted him bad like those you know Georgia wanted him bad like you know yeah he's a true freshman but he's he's clearly better than what they had last year so I think that I don't think we see too much difference you know offense defense as a whole but I think we we kind of see the the play elevate a little bit because of the line play and you know being able to kind of you know control the clock all the all the cliches is kind of just going to help the team in every aspect defense as well so I think you'll see that slight Improvement and it'll make a big difference okay once again joined by my good friend Zack gray on Twitter at zg the Great Vine for all of your gambling selections Clemson Georgia that game noon on Saturday Georgia pretty easily right yeah Georgia by Georgia by at least two touchdowns I think Clemson's going to surprise some people this year I think they're still really talented um but like I just don't know davo just doesn't seem to to have that spark anymore I think they'll be good I think they'll be in the mix for the playoff but Georgia I feel like Georgia's just kind of Georgia yeah look the only guy who's proven that he can beat Georgia is working for college game day now and so it's tough to pick against him the issue with Clemson is dbos Sweeny refuses to use the transfer portal like that's until that problem is fixed they'll they'll you know somewhere between the 10th and 17th best team in in in in in college football are you at all interested in in South Dakota state in Oklahoma State like South Dakota State one of those kind of power FCS schools does that game interest you at all uh yeah I actually so I picked a couple of those games um to to project out on my projections just some of the notable ones and that was one of them that I had um I have Oklahoma State winning you know by like 12 in my projections um I find interesting though Oklahoma state is like a uh like a flagship program in our lifetime like they are they are always at least Baseline good and can beat someone um so I think it's just kind of crazy now that we're seeing the the lines come out for these major FBS teams versus FCS teams and they're kind of small I remember I remember like years ago where there was you know some of those games were in the 60s on the spread like it it just feels like the it feels like the gap's closing a little bit I don't know why but I don't yeah just feels like that Gap they have Ali Gordon they have Ali Gordon one of the best and they're they're only like what what is the spread like 11 or something like that something like that yeah I think part of it is like the transfer portal I'm sure we've got guys transferring down to play at at at these these FCS schools at a little bit of a higher rate but I I'm sure that's part of it Miami plays Florida at 3:30 Miami last time I checked only favored by like two and a half which kind of surprised me I like Miami a lot of people do which makes me nervous to like Miami um my boss though that dude's crazy I've got Florida really yeah not by much um I think it's going to be wire to wire I wouldn't be shocked if Miami wins but um you know just trust in my data I have Florida buy a point okay fair enough um Notre Dame Texas A&M that game's a big one I think Notre Dame goes 11 to one this year and I think that their one loss comes on Saturday to Texas A&M yeah um been saying it you know the the market has tells us what they think now you know Notre Dame started out favored in this game it flipped all the way to Texas A&M minus three um not sure what it's at now but to you know Notre Dame losing their best offensive lineman like doesn't help but I also even with him I don't I just did not see Notre Dame winning this game Mike elco's got a bunch of talent he's a great coach Texas A&M isn't you know Little Sisters of the they still have dudes like like very very much one of the most talented rosters in football still like and I don't like Notre Dame so it's a little biased right there with you la last question for you Zach and I'll let you go once again joined by my good buddy Zack gray follow him on Twitter seriously gives out a ton of winners every week for football at zg the Grapevine check out his patreon to to get all those picks F 15 bucks a month right for for all of them uh so you know it's it's I think it's $25 for college football 25 for NFL and it's 45 for both but again you go and and use the code Z GTG you can get 40% off the the the both package and you're sitting somewhere around $27 a month okay USC at LSU that is the Sunday Night Football game I'm fascinated by it I I I think Brian Kelly is overrated as a coach not saying he's a bad coach I just don't think he's as good as everyone else does Lincoln Riley on the other hand that's the best offensive mind in college football I think USC is Mass mely underrated this year because when when Lincoln Riley's your coach he scored points with Kyler Murray Jaylen Herz you know Caleb Williams obviously Baker Mayfield when he was the OC no matter who plays quarterback for us for for Lincoln Riley his team score points that being said I I do like for LSU to win I knew you were gonna do the switch um I actually I I'm gonna I'm going to leave this one on a cliffhanger I have a play on that game um who knows what side I'm on unless you go to the the Twitter so um yeah I like it I like it Zack thanks for your time on camera which is great rocking a that's an awesome Pacers at you I need you to send me the the link for that because that thing looks pretty sick I got it at um at at gainbridge oh nice when you went to watch LeBron no it's the fir I went to watch um Cleveland the Knicks the first time yeah oh okay there you go there you go Zach thanks for your time man you you were great as always thanks Jay Smith that's my guy Zack gray the one and only follow him on Twitter at zzg the Great Vine seriously he puts out a ton of winners