NCAAF best bets: Get fired up for a HUGE college football weekend

We've got a banger of a college football slate coming up on Saturday. It all starts with No. 7 Penn State traveling to Columbus to take on No. 3 Ohio State at noon ET in a pivotal Big Ten battle. Then No. 11 Alabama will look to keep its playoff hopes alive when it hosts No. 17 Tennessee at 3:30. In the evening, No. 4 Florida State will host No. 16 Duke at 7:30, and No. 18 USC will take on No. 18 Utah at 8 p.m. 

And guess what? We've got a bet for all four. Cancel your plans, grab the comfiest spot on the couch and let's cash some tickets on a glorious college football Saturday.

Settle in for a full Saturday of NCAAF bets

Penn State Nittany Lions @ Ohio State Buckeyes

The winner of Penn State-Ohio State will jump into the driver's seat in the Big Ten East. This is a crucial game for James Franklin, who's gone 1-8 against the Buckeyes and hasn't taken them down since 2016. We're not too confident in the spread either way, but we do love the under in what should be a defensive battle.

Penn State ranks second in the country in points per game allowed (8.2), while Ohio State ranks third (10.2). Drew Allar will struggle to move the ball early with a talented Buckeyes defensive line breathing down his neck, and the Nittany Lions have the horses in the secondary to contain Marvin Harrison Jr. and Emeka Egbuka. This feels like a classic punch-you-in-the-mouth Big Ten game, so we're jumping on the under 45.5.

Tennessee Volunteers @ Alabama Crimson Tide

Joe Milton doesn't have what it takes to go into Tuscaloosa and upset a Nick Saban-coached team. Plain and simple.

Milton finished last week's game against Texas A&M with 100 yards on 11-22 passing with one touchdown and one pick. This will be the best defense Milton has faced all season, and he's going to get exposed in a major way. We're laying the 8.5 points with the Crimson Tide.

Duke Blue Devils @ Florida State Seminoles

This is the most confusing game of the bunch because of the uncertainty surrounding Duke's quarterback situation. Riley Leonard might miss his second game in a row due to an ankle injury, which would force backup Henry Belin back into the lineup. Belin struggled mightily against NC State last week, as he went just 4-12 for 107 yards, two TDs and an interception.

Whether it's a banged-up Leonard or Belin under center for the Blue Devils, they're going to have a ton of trouble scoring. On the other side, this is the best passing defense Jordan Travis has faced thus far. Duke ranks third in the country in opponent passer rating and fourth in yards allowed per pass attempt. The only way the Blue Devils can hang around in this one is to slow the game down, muck it up and keep the score in the low 20s. We're rolling with the under 49.5.

Utah Utes @ USC Trojans

USC looked outmatched against Notre Dame last week, but that won't be the case against Utah.

The Utes rank 125th in the country in passing yards per game and 112th in offensive touchdowns per game. That's not the recipe for success against a Trojans team that loves to play shootouts at home. If Caleb Williams can put points on the board early, Utah will have little to no chance of covering this number. Take USC -7.

In the news ...

Astros even ALCS at 2-2; Diamondbacks walk off Phillies for first win — Just when we thought the Houston Astros were dead, they show us why they've been to four World Series in the last six years. After taking Game 3 in Arlington, the Astros pummeled the Texas Rangers, 10-3, in Game 4 to even the series. Houston is now a -130 favorite to win the series after falling down 2-0. In the NLCS, the Arizona Diamondbacks won a crucial Game 3 thanks to a walk-off single by Ketel Marte in the bottom of the ninth. The Philadelphia Phillies are still -375 to win the series, but Arizona can make them sweat with another win on Friday night. 

NCAA investigating Michigan football for alleged sign-stealing — Speaking of the Astros, we have another sign-stealing scandal in the world of sports. This time, though, the spotlight is on Jim Harbaugh and the Michigan Wolverines. According to Yahoo Sports, the NCAA is investigating the program for "allegedly violating rules that prohibit teams from scouting, in person, future opponents." Harbaugh denied any knowledge of stealing play calls and said he would fully cooperate with the investigation. The Wolverines are +270 favorites to win the national title, but now they have a major distraction to navigate. 

Beau Hossler leads Zozo Championship after two rounds — The Zozo Championship features star golfers such as Xander Schauffele, Collin Morikawa and Rickie Fowler, but it was Hossler who took control of the tournament overnight. Hossler shot an impressive, 5-under 65 in the wind to grab the 36-hole lead at 7 under par. The 28-year-old is now the +320 favorite to win the Zozo Championship, but we're just hoping he can hang on to cash our top-20 bet on him.

Today's Bark Bets is written by Jack Dougherty