Week 12 of the college football season is set to deliver some dramatic outcomes, and we’ve identified two bold predictions that could shake up the slate. Boston College’s switch to a run-first offense positions them for a shocking upset over No. 14 SMU, while a depleted Kennesaw State squad looks primed for a blowout loss against Sam Houston. Here’s why these underdog stories might unfold.
With New QB1, Boston College Upsets #14 SMU On The Road (+740, FanDuel)
Making the switch from Thomas Castellanos to Grayson James at QB, Bill O’Brien really meant that he’d be leaning fully on the run. In last week’s 37-31 win over Syracuse, James and Castellanos both got playing time, but went a combined 7-for-13 passing for 65 yards with two touchdowns and an interception compared to a combined 43 carries for 331 rushing yards with three rushing scores from running back tandem Kye Robichaux and Jordan McDonald. Since that game, Castellanos announced that he’d be leaving the program, so James will be under center moving center, but I expect another run-heavy approach for the 5-4 Eagles who are just one victory away from bowl eligibility.
While SMU’s run defense has been stout this season, BC’s offensive line is dominant and they should still be able to efficiently move the ball on the ground. The last time these two teams played, the Eagles beat the Mustangs 23-14 at the 2023 Fenway Bowl and I’m in on this at +740 at FanDuel!
With Fired Head Coach and Transfers Galore, Kennesaw State Gets Massacred By Sam Houston (49-Plus Point Win +3300, BetMGM)
After dominating at the FCS level and being with the school since the inception of the football program in 2013, Kennesaw State head coach Brian Bohannon was fired after a 1-8 start. Despite this being the program’s first year at the FBS level, school leadership felt that a change was needed. At this time of this writing, 18 scholarship players (including nine starters) have announced they are transferring away from the school and it’s difficult to imagine them keeping this game even relatively close. With those players active, they lost to Jacksonville State 63-24 earlier in the season and just gave up 43 points to UTEP, who improved to 2-8 with a win over them last week.
While Sam Houston’s offense has sputtered in recent weeks, they’ve scored 31-plus points five times and 40-plus twice this season and are 7-2 on the year. They’ll enter this game with 18 days of rest since their last game and over their last four contests, their defense has been amazing, recording 10 takeaways and 14.0 sacks. I expect Sam Houston to dominate on both sides of the ball and you can bet Sam Houston to win by 49-plus points at +3300 over at BetMGM!
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