Table of Contents

    By Alex Lauzon from the “Course of Life” podcast

    Week 5: Keep it Rollin’

    With any week of action following an epic spread of games like week four offered, we’re often let down as fans. I’m happily here to state this is NOT one of those letdown weeks. Last weekend’s slate was nothing short of spectacular and it culminated with the powerhouse Ohio State vs. Notre Dame matchup that came down to the very last play. Thai weekend’s card is going to make a strong case for being as amazing as this past Saturday’s, if you can imagine that level of football bliss occurring again. 

    Week Four’s card full of big-time games also brought us a squeaker Florida State win, the continuation of the “Texas is Back” narrative, and the abrupt pause to the Coach Prime hype…for now. As we approach October it’s becoming clear who the fraudulent teams at the top are, and who’s likely here to stay. Let’s dive into the best of week five CFB action, find some winners, and catch the mid-season wind in our sails. Get your picks in before the frenzy of CFB Saturdays!

    Must Watch “Main Screen” Games

    #10 Utah @ #19 Oregon State (-3) – 9 pm ET (Friday) – We don’t even have to wait until Saturday for primetime top-25 action in the PAC 12, as two teams looking for offense are matched up this weekend. Oregon State stalled out last week against Washington State for their first loss of the year, while Utah snaked a defensive-led win against UCLA with their third-stringer. The line and vibe tell you that Utah has to get clipped eventually without Cam Rising, but his status for Saturday will dictate wagering.

    #8 USC @ Colorado (+21.5) – 12 pm ET – I’m going to take a wild guess and say this 11 am start in Boulder will get the full national attention and spectacle, as the Coach Prime hype is still simmering despite the blowout loss. The hype this week is mostly because they get the challenge of the Heisman Trophy winner in Caleb Williams on their plate next. Vegas loves putting Colorado around a three-score dog, and it can’t be as bad as the Oregon game, right?

    #1 Georgia @ Auburn (+14.5) – 3:30 pm ET  The SEC on CBS showcase has the Dawgs going up one more rung on the ladder as any chance of a loss starts to increase week by week. This week it’s the 3-1 Auburn Tigers fresh off a tough loss at Texas A&M, and they should have enough firepower at home to challenge…for 30 minutes.

    #13 LSU @ #20 Ole Miss (+2.5) – 6 pm ET – Jaydon Daniels and Jaxson Dart is a delightful QB matchup of yin and yang for these teams battling it out in Oxford, and I’m here for the shootout under the lights. Expect points and touchdown dancing early and often, and Malik Naber highlights should be aplenty on Saturday night.  

    #11 Notre Dame @ #17 Duke (+6) – 7:30 pm ET – Notre Dame was a foot away from stopping Ohio State’s QB Kyle McCord at the goal line and claiming a massive victory…but alas they are Notre Dame and seemed to be resigned to being America’s “almost” team every season. Now Sam Hartman looks to reignite the Irish offense against a Duke program that’s quietly unbeaten and back in the top 25 again.

    Tier Two “Second Screen” Games

    #22 Florida @ Kentucky (-3) – noon ET –  Veteran bettors perk up when they have a fishy line like this on the board – a home team that’s hosting a ranked opponent, yet the unranked home squad is favored. It’s a blaring signal from Vegas that UK is the better team top to bottom, but are they up for the challenge of slowing down Trevor Etienne? This is a game to bet and watch and savor and love, it has the makings of a classic SEC duel.

    #24 Kansas @ #3 Texas (-17) – 3:30 pm ET –  Everyone here in Austin is cautiously optimistic about the undefeated Longhorns, as they enter an all-time “look ahead” spot vs. Kansas before the annual Red River Rivalry game against Oklahoma. Kansas is not to be overlooked and should be a pretty feisty underdog here – they beat Texas the last time these two programs met in Austin in 2021, 57-56.

    #12 Alabama @ Mississippi State (+14.5) – 9 pm ET – Alabama won nicely against Ole Miss, but I’m not sure they’ve fully resolved the logjam in scoring on offense behind QB Jalen Milroe. I would contend that the Mississippi State offense behind Will Rogers could be more lethal and this should make for a stern test on the road for Saban and crew.

    The “Tablet Game” Night Capper

    #7 Washington @ Arizona (+17.5) – 10:30 pm ET – For the second week in a row Michael Penix Jr. and the Huskies are playing the night capper, and last week as big favorites against Cal they put up a gazillion more points and covered. What’s stopping them from getting 50+ more against a less-than-stellar Arizona squad?

    **Midnight Snack Game is Nevada @ Fresno State which will surely drag on past 1 am Sunday.

    Week Five Plays To Watch

    Oregon State -3 – Especially if Cam Rising continues to be held out.

    LSU/Ole Miss Over 63 – Two future NFL QB prospects on display head to head!

    Kentucky -3 – One of the smellier points spreads on this young season.

    Mississippi State +14.5 – This could diverge into a ”who has the ball last” type of game.

    Washington -17.5 – Prepare for the Penix onslaught, and the over is worth a look before it shoots up over 70!

    NFL FAQs

    How do you play football survival pool?

    Players pick one team each week they think will win the game outright. They may only pick a team ONCE per season, meaning you can't pick the same team twice in one season. If their pick is correct, the player survives another week and continues to play. An incorrect pick eliminates the player from the contest entirely. This is sometimes called an elimination or suicide pool. The last person standing wins.

    How to make a football pool?

    A football pool generally requires the creation of a shareable spreadsheet (like Google Sheets) so that members may pick teams. Then depending on the game type, creators must use several kinds of formulas (e.g. CountIF), data validation, and conditional formatting. Or, you can just use football pool hosting service like RunYourPool where we do all the work for you!

    How to run a weekly football pool?

    In order to run a football pool, you must first crown yourself as Pool Commissioner. Begin by picking a game type like Survivor or Pick'Em. You'll want to establish rules before inviting friends, family, and colleagues to join. As commissioner, you make the rules and also need to enforce them equally and fairly.

    What is a football survivor pool?

    In a Football Survivor Pool, players choose one team weekly they think will win. Usually, a team can be picked one time per season. Picks are made "straight up," no spreads necessary. If a pick is correct, members survive another week. An incorrect pick eliminates the player, unless a mulligan is used.

    How does a football pool work?

    Football pools are games of skill played among a group of people. There are a variety of pool types to fit every players needs, from casual to competitive. Pool commissioners can set up pools manually, or use a hosting service like RunYourPool whiel still customizing your own settings. Some examples include NFL Squares, NFL Survivor, NFL Pick 'Em, and Playoff Brackets.

    What is an NFL pickem pool?

    In an NFL pick’em pool, simply pick the outcome of each NFL game throughout the season. You can pick straight up winners or losers, or pick each game against the spread.

    How to play a football pool?

    The way one plays a football pool varies on the game type. For example, in Survivor, you pick one team to win each week and can't pick that team again. Guess wrong and you lose. Another example is Pick'em Pools in which you simply pick every game each week.

    How does a fantasy football pool work?

    Fantasy football pools don’t involve a traditional fantasy football draft. You can have as many members in your pool as you’d like, meaning no more 12 or 14 team limits! You pick a new lineup of players each week, and once you use a player once, you can’t use them again for the rest of the season.

    What is a fantasy football pool?

    A fantasy football pool is similar to a traditional fantasy football league but without the draft. Pick a new lineup each week, and once you use a player, you can’t use them for the rest of the season. Your players will receive points based on their in-game stats, and the member with the most points at the end of the season is the winner.

    What is a football pool?

    "Football Pool" is a broad term for a group of people competitively guessing the outcome of one or more football games. There are many types of formats, each assigning winners differently. They can be played informally between friends or through a more formalized system. They are often considered a great alternative to fantasy football given the ease of playing, although there are fantasy football pools as well.

    How do football pool squares work?

    There are different kinds of football square pools. Most have a 10x10 grid with one team for the rows and columns. In an attempt to win, participants select a square where they believe the last digit number of each team's score will intersect at the end of each quarter, and the game's end.

    How do you play football squares pools?

    To play a football squares pool, you're going to want to pick the squares with the best odds. As winners are determined by the point totals at the end of each quarter, try to consider options where scores are most common. Some of the most popular squares include 7-3, 7-0, 7-7, and 0-0. Numbers divisible by seven are good starting points.

    How many squares in a football pool?

    In a traditional football squares pool, a grid is sectioned off into 100 squares with 10 columns and 10 rows. This accounts for a direct relationship between each possible digit from 0 to 9 on both the X and Y axis. For smaller square grids like 5x5, multiple numbers can be assigned to each column and row.

    How to play squares football pools?

    Football squares are played by creating a grid, in which Team 1 takes the column and Team 2 the rows. In some cases, participants may claim as many squares as they like. In others, commissioners limit them to one. At the quarter times and end of the game, the winner is decided at the point the scores final digit intersect.

    What is a football squares pool?

    Also called Grid, Block, or Box Pools, Football Squares Pools can be played with any single game, but are most popular during the Super Bowl. Pool members claim squares on a 25, 50, or 100-square grid by putting their information in the square. Game scores are matched to the winning square(s), usually with winners being determined every quarter.

    How to read a football pool sheet?

    In Squares formats, football pool sheets include a grid, where one team is the column and one is the row. Winners are determined at the end of each quarter when the last number in the team’s score (on each side) is matched to the numbers on the grid, and the intersecting square wins.

    How do you play football credits pool?

    In the credits format, all players start with the same number of credits. Players make picks each week by risking a certain number of credits on games, assigning more credits to the picks with a higher confidence level. Members receive double the credits risked for each win. The member with the most credits at the end of the season wins.

    What is a football credits pool?

    In Football Credits Pools, players start with the same number of credits. They then make picks each week by risking a number of credits on games, assigning more to the picks they have more confidence in getting right. Members double credits risked for each win. The member with the highest credits at the end of the season wins.

    How to run a football pool?

    How you decide to run a football pool varies greatly depending on the game type. In each case, however, you'll want to determine the rules and settings before you begin inviting members to join you. You'll want to clearly establish how score will be kept, how tiebreakers work, and how winners are decided before anything else.

    How do you play football confidence pool?

    A football confidence pool is played straight up, not with a point spread. Not only do members pick the winning teams, they must back up their picks by giving them a relative confidence ranking. Your score reflects the number of confidence points given to winning teams. So if your confidence for a team winning is '1', then you can only win one point at most. If your confidence for a team winning is '5', then you can win five points for a win. The member with the most credits at the end wins.

    What is a football confidence pool?

    "Football Confidence Pool" refers to how you rank the teams that you think will win each week. For example, in the NFL, there are often 16 games weekly. In this scenario, you would rank each game from 16 to 1, based on the your confidence in that team winning.

    How do you play football margin pool?

    Margin pools are an NFL pool format that rewards members for picking a winning team each week. Pool commissioners can decide whether they award points equal to a winning teams margin of victory or the point spread for that game. When a commissioner chooses the point spread option, this format is often referred to as an NFL Underdog Pool.

    What is a football margin pool?

    In a Football Margin Pool, you are awarded points for picking a winning team. Pool commissioners get to decide whether they award points equal to a winning teams margin of victory or the point spread for that game. The player with the most points at the end of the season wins.

    How do you play football 33 point pool?

    The football 33 pool format is a casual pool where members are each assigned an NFL team (these pools are 32 members max, as there are 32 NFL teams). Members win when their team scores 33 points. Options for changing the target score, or having the closest to the target win each week is also available.

    What is a football 33 point pool?

    In the football 33 pool format, each member is assigned a unique NFL team (32 members max). A member will win when their team scores 33 points. This is a casual pool where you can change the target score or the option to have the closest to the target that week win.

    How to run a weekly football pool?

    In order to run a football pool, you must first crown yourself as Pool Commissioner. Begin by picking a game type like Survivor or Pick'Em. You'll want to establish rules before inviting friends, family, and colleagues to join. As commissioner, you make the rules and also need to enforce them equally and fairly.

    What is an NFL Playoff bracket pool?

    NFL Playoff Bracket pools are simple NFL pool formats where members pick every round of the playoffs before they start in an attempt to predict every match up correctly. It's optional to configure a multiplier for each round, or add a tiebreaker option of total points in the Super Bowl.

    How to make a football pool?

    A football pool generally requires the creation of a shareable spreadsheet (like Google Sheets) so that members may pick teams. Then depending on the game type, creators must use several kinds of formulas (e.g. CountIF), data validation, and conditional formatting. Or, you can just use football pool hosting service like RunYourPool where we do all the work for you!

    How to set up a football pool?

    To set up a football pool, you'll need to first choose a pool type like Survivor or Pick'em. Then, you'll need to set the ground rules. As pool commissioner, you'll enforce these rules and make sure the game runs smoothly throughout the season. Many commissioners use pool hosting sites like RunYourPool to make it easier and more engaging.

    What is a football power ranking playoff pool?

    In a power ranking playoff pool, members rank all 12 NFL teams competing in the playoffs from strongest (12 points) to weakest (1 point). Picks are made only ONCE before any games begin. Members are awarded the number of points assigned to a team when they win. Commissioners can optionally set up a point multiplier for each playoff round.

    What is a football confidence pool?

    "Football Confidence Pool" refers to how you rank the teams that you think will win each week. For example, in the NFL, there are often 16 games weekly. In this scenario, you would rank each game from 16 to 1, based on the your confidence in that team winning. This is similar to the Playoff Pool Power Ranking, just less teams.

    How to run a football pool?

    How you decide to run a football pool varies greatly depending on the game type. In each case, however, you'll want to determine the rules and settings before you begin inviting members to join you. You'll want to clearly establish how score will be kept, how tiebreakers work, and how winners are decided before anything else.

    What is a football playoff precision pool?

    In a playoff precision pool, members attempt to pick the winner of every playoff game each week. You can decide if it’s straight up or on a point spread picks, but point totals are also added. Points are awarded for correct picks AND for how close to the correct combined point total they were.

    How to read a football pool sheet?

    In Squares formats, football pool sheets include a grid, where one team is the column and one is the row. Winners are determined at the end of each quarter when the last number in the team’s score (on each side) is matched to the numbers on the grid, and the intersecting square wins.

    What is a Super Bowl Prop Bets Pool?

    A Super Bowl Prop Bet Pool is a fun and thrilling way to compete against friends and family during the big game! It's a simple questionaire of prop betting questions revolving around the Super Bowl, and whoever earns the most points based off correct answers wins!

    How does a Super Bowl Prop Bets Pool work?

    Pool members simply fill out a wide range of prop questions, each question worth a different value. Commissioners decide on the point value for each question, along with the amount of questions. Whichever member earns the most points based on corret answers wins the pool.

    What is a football Super Bowl Squares pool?

    Also called Grid, Block, or Box Pools, Football Squares Pools can be played with any single game, but are most popular during the Super Bowl. Pool members claim squares on a 25, 50, or 100-square grid by putting their information in the square. Game scores are matched to the winning square(s), usually with winners being determined every quarter.

    What is a prop bet?

    Prop bets are any sort of pick or wager on a game that has nothing to do with the score or the final score outcome. Props can range from game types, to team types and even player types - such as who will score the game's first and last touchdowns? Other props, such as novelty or exotic, feature bets on things such as the coin flip or the Super Bowl Halftime Show.

    How to read a football pool sheet?

    In Squares formats, football pool sheets include a grid, where one team is the column and one is the row. Winners are determined at the end of each quarter when the last number in the team’s score (on each side) is matched to the numbers on the grid, and the intersecting square wins.

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    About Author

    Alex Lauzon

    Lauzon is a podcast host, live broadcaster, analyst and betting extraordinaire for the Course of Life brand. After earning a degree in broadcast journalism at Quinnipiac University, he worked in ESPN and ESPN radio newsrooms. He has interviewed athletes and celebrities from all walks of life who often love to play golf. When he's not playing golf or talking about the game on Course of Life, Lauzon enjoys time with his wife and dog, checking off the next island vacation destination or counting down the days to the next Dell Match Play in his hometown of Austin, Texas.

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