Cunningham

Are the Falcons (4-6) much better? The victory at New Orleans seems a long time ago after the Cowboys and Patriots ran them off the field. Those teams are good. The Jags are bad. The Falcons get their offense going against Jacksonville’s soft pass defense and cover the spread.

No. 1 Georgia (-35) at Georgia Tech

Georgia coach Kirby Smart said increased salaries for college football coaches come with higher expectations, prompting some of his colleagues to try the NFL: “I know it’s a tough atmosphere, but most people would say, ‘They pay you so much, so it doesn’t matter.’ ” Smart’s $7 million salary is higher than two-thirds of NFL coaches, and UGA has been an underdog 11 times in Smart’s six seasons (twice by more than a touchdown). But maybe Smart is right that it’s less stressful to make a little more money as an NFL coach with the real possibility of losing every game.

Paul Johnson’s option tripped up Georgia during Smart’s first season in Athens. The Bulldogs won the next three games in the series by an aggregate score of 135-35. When my heart tugs at me to take Tech as a huge home ’dog, my brain interjects with images of the surrender in South Bend. Bulldogs cover.

Troy (+6½) at Georgia State

Arkansas State couldn’t run the ball and threw two interceptions at Georgia State last weekend. The Red Wolves still covered the 16½-point spread. GSU’S possible bowl destinations are Mobile, Montgomery, Myrtle Beach, Boca Raton and the Dallas area. The Panthers cover against Troy and then hopefully play their next game somewhere warm near a beach.

Other college games of interest

■ No. 2 Ohio State (-8) at No. 5 Michigan: Smart should ask Michigan’s Jim Harbaugh if life is easier in the NFL. The 49ers once fired Harbaugh two years after he guided them to a Super Bowl. Michigan rewarded Harbaugh with a contract extension in January despite his 11-8 record over the 2019 and 2020 seasons. Harbaugh’s the first Michigan coach to start 0-5 against Ohio State. The Wolverines cover the spread against their hated rival, which might earn Harbaugh a bonus.

■ No. 3 Alabama (-19½) at Auburn: Last week Alabama coach Nick Saban said it’s “fine” that fans second-guess him and his assistants. This week, Saban went on his radio show and said what he really feels about “self-absorbed” fans who grumble about Bama not dominating: “When I came here, everybody was happy to win a game. Now we’re not happy to win a game anymore.” Bama keeps failing to cover when I pick them, so I’m siding with unhappy Bama fans in this one. I like Auburn with the points.

■ No. 6 Notre Dame (-19½) at Stanford: I’m resigned to Notre Dame making the College Football Playoff again. The scenario gains steam this weekend with Notre Dame winning convincingly, Michigan losing to

Ohio State and Oklahoma beating Oklahoma State. That would move the Fighting Irish one spot closer to the four-team cutoff. I’m not counting on it. Irish cover.

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No. 10 Oklahoma (+4) at No. 7 Oklahoma State:

Oklahoma State coach Mike Gundy is 2-14 against the Sooners, so he should like that just fine. Oklahoma is the pick.

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No. 23 Clemson (-11½) at South Carolina:

Clemson coach Dabo Swinney said he’ll start recruiting from the transfer portal. Per the Greenville News: “The next thing you know we’re going to have mid-years (enrollees) leave because they’re third team or because someone yelled at them in mat drills. There are no barriers anymore in college football.” Tigers cover.

■ Florida State (+2½) at Florida: Per Gatorsports.com, Florida defensive end Zachary Carter said: “We’re both fighting for bowl games, so it’s a pretty big game.” Gators cover with interim coach Greg Knox, giving everyone another chance to pile on Dan Mullen.