NCAAF Week 14 upset picks: Coastal Carolina has BYU's number

With just two weeks left in college football’s regular season, it's crunch time, as teams push for bowl games and conference championships.

Time is also running out for sports bettors to make a solid buck on college gridiron action. Luckily, we are here to help.

Let’s take a look at some games that can provide a solid return on investment in Week 14 of the college football season.

Boston College vs. Virginia

Virginia is flying high, on a three-game win streak, after a 1-4 start to the season. Two weeks ago, the Cavaliers crushed Abilene Christian, a week after a strong fourth quarter gave them a 14-point win over Louisville.

The Cavs enter this week's matchup well rested and with quarterback Brennan Armstrong playing well. He threw for 383 yards and four touchdowns against Abilene Christian.

However, Boston College has never lost to the Virginia in six meetings. The Eagles have won all four ACC matchups with Virginia since Boston College joined the conference, and they have yet to lose to an unranked team this season. Two of Boston College's defeats came to Clemson and Notre Dame, and they were competitive in both games.

BC quarterback Phil Jurkovec is healthy and will lead the 41st-ranked passing offense against one of the worst pass defenses in the nation.

Look for the Eagles to take care of business and pull off the upset.  

#13 BYU vs. #18 Coastal Carolina

Arguably the best game of the week, these teams will try to keep hope alive for an unbeaten season and a major bowl appearance.

Coastal Carolina was supposed to play Liberty on Saturday, but a COVID-19 outbreak hit the Flames, so BYU stepped in to fill the slot.

BYU’s best win this season is against a weakened Boise State team, and that was also the last FBS opponent it faced. The Cougars haven't played since a Nov. 21 dismantling of North Alabama, while the Chanticleers have played a game each of the past two weeks, including a dominant win over Texas State last week, and have played a tougher schedule.

Coastal runs a more balanced offense than BYU and play at home, against a team that traveled  across the country on short notice. It also has a pass rusher, Tarron Jackson, the likes of which BYU has not faced this season.

The two quarterbacks featured in this game have thrown a combined 46 touchdowns and just three interceptions, but Coastal Carolina's Grayson McCall is a dual threat who has also run for more than 350 yards and five scores this season.

His running ability will make the difference in a shootout.

Florida Atlantic vs. Georgia Southern

Georgia Southern has played a much tougher schedule than Florida Atlantic, and that is reflected in their records. The Eagles are 6-4 and have lost their last two games by a combined seven points. That includes a loss to Army, when they spiked the ball at the Army 33-yard line a tenth of a second too late, which denied them a shot at a game-winning field goal.

Georgia Southern struggled last week against Georgia State, when the Eagles allowed 372 passing yards. They also allowed Army to rush for 243 yards, albeit on 73 carries, the week before. Their last win was a two-point squeaker over a Texas State team that is 1-9.

FAU plays stingy defense and likes to run the ball and keep the other team’s offense off the field. Both teams will try to control the clock, but FAU allows the 11th-fewest yards per play and has the fifth-best scoring defense in the nation. The Owls also allow the 18th-fewest yards rushing, which helps them stay in games when their offense isn’t clicking.

Expect FAU to be in this game throughout, with a chance to win it at the end.

Oregon State vs. Utah

Utah has not won a game in more than a year and will look to rectify that, after a three-point loss to Washington last week. The Utes held a 21-0 halftime lead, but were shut out after the break and committed three second-half turnovers. They have nine turnovers in two games.

Oregon State is on a two-game win streak, and its last loss came to Washington in a controversial manner. Last week, the Beavers knocked off No. 15 Oregon. They put up 532 yards of total offense, including 269 yards rushing.

The Utes have allowed just 90.5 yards per game on the ground, but Oregon State's Jermar Jefferson is much better than the running backs they have faced this season. Given that Oregon State has forced five turnovers in its last two games, the Beavers will look to capitalize on Utah’s mistakes and ride their high-powered offense to victory.

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