What’s up everyone? New contributor Tyler Monahan here with you today to talk about something near and dear to my heart, winning you all money. Now, while I don’t consider myself a professional gambler by any stretch of the imagination, I do take pride in having a pretty sterling record over the last few years that has benefitted those around me. Well, I decided it was time to give away some secrets to everyone else, and The Broadway Breakdown has graciously decided to host my columns every week with my picks for both the collegiate and NFL football seasons. Football is so close that we can almost taste it, so there is no better time to look at some full season futures that you can stash away and come back to at a later time that could blossom into a nice payout by season’s end. All odds are brought to you by Draftkings Sportsbook, and as always, please gamble responsibly. Now let’s get to it.

Penn State to make the College Football Playoffs: -140

Before you all come at me with pitchforks, hear me out. I know the number here isn’t the sexiest thing, but I do feel like Penn State is one of the safer bets to sneak into the College Football Playoff. While I don’t see them as a true threat to win the new and improved Big Ten, I just don’t see many spots that could trip them up outside of meetings against Ohio State and potentially USC. With 12 spots now up for grabs Penn State feels like a safe pick because even though they won’t have the best resume of wins, they won’t have as many losses as some of the teams on the outside looking in. Quarterback Drew Allar is officially in “show me something and show me something SOON” territory after years of hype, but with options like Running Back’s Nick Singleton and Kaytron Allen and new Wide Receiver transfer Julian Fleming, Allar has a chance to turn some heads. Defense won’t be an issue, the Nittany Lions crew will be stingy as usual, it all comes down to what the offense looks like and if coach James Franklin continues to look like he wants to be fired or actually wants to do his job.

NC State to make the College Football Playoffs: +500

One team gaining a lot of steam as the season looks to get underway are the Wolfpack of NC State. A 9-3 season, was a solid outcome, but just missing out of the ACC Championship by one game in coach Dave Doeren’s 11th season had to have been a tough pill to swallow. The team was mired by mediocre QB play most of the season, but now turn to stud transfer Grayson McCall as the new signal caller. Bringing back top offensive threat Kevin Concepcion will only help McCall adjust to a new offense even quicker, and if the running game can step up after an average year with Duke transfer Jordan Waters coming in the team might be cooking with gas. Defensively the Wolfpack have one of the better defensive lines in the nation, and while losing Linebacker Payton Watson to the NFL will hurt, they have more than enough bodies to fill the void. In an ACC that is really up for grabs since I think Florida State is being supremely overrated, it might benefit you to throw a dart on a team just outside of the favorite bubble.

Oklahoma State to make the College Football Playoffs: +750

If I’m the Oklahoma State Cowboys, I look at my schedule this season and the rest of the teams in the Big 12 and I don’t flinch. The Cowboys bring back one of the most experienced teams in the sport, loaded with upperclassmen that have played in significant games. At the top of that list of upperclassmen are starting Quarterback Alan Bowman and starting running back Ollie Gordon II. Bowman, a super (putting that word lightly) senior, at the ripe age of 24 will be coming back for one last go around as starting QB. He’s not exactly the model of consistency, but he has proven that he can make big plays when needed. In the perfect world Bowman won’t need to lead any crazy drives with his arm because the offense will flow through one of the best players in the country in junior Running Back Ollie Gordon II. Gordon will be playing on Sunday’s soon enough, but for one more year he will be making life hell for opposing defenses as both a rushing and receiving threat. There’s two games that I see posing a threat to Oklahoma State this year, those being matchups at home against division favorite Utah, and on the road against Kansas State. Ever the optimist, I think Oklahoma State splits these two, but even should they lose both that doesn’t take them out of contention of making the Playoffs should they take care of business the rest of the way. The Cowboys are extremely undervalued this year, take advantage.

Riley Leonard to win the Heisman: +2200

I will forever be a Notre Dame hater (yes, they are cowards for not joining a real conference), but money is money. Outside of what could be a tough matchup on the road in week 1 against Texas A&M, the Fighting Irish should be going into at least week 9 practically untouched due to an underwhelming schedule. After several years of subpar quarterback play the team had one of the best transfers on the market decide to head over to South Bend. Riley Leonard has shown every single intangible to be a successful quarterback with average Duke teams, now he will be surrounded by top recruits in an offense that he has had months to learn. I think Leonard is going to prove to be one of the best QB’s in the entire sport this year, and while it’s for a team I hate, at least if he wins the Heisman I’ll end up with some extra cash in my pocket.

Noah Fifita to win the Heisman: +4000

Arizona is a tricky team to predict this season. They made many doubters look silly this past season much to the thanks of young quarterback Noah Fifita. With more eyes on the program now more than ever, Fifita will need to take an even bigger step forward in his progression as an elite quarterback. While he isn’t much of a dual threat, Fifita has proven that he can extend plays and allow his big weapons time to create separation for big plays. With top weapon Tetairoa McMillan returning they create one of the best duos in the sport that can continue to be a game breaker for an evolving offense. While Arizona might have the team success that they did last year now that Jedd Fisch has left for Washington, Fifita could still put up numbers that put him in contention for one of the biggest trophies in the sport.

Ollie Gordon II to win the Heisman: +7500

While the Heisman has basically become a strictly QB award, sometimes you simply can’t ignore the best player the sport. Ollie Gordon II has the chance to put up gaudy numbers for a team with playoff aspirations, and in a year that feels like it might be missing top tier talent in the sport, Gordon can take advantage of a slightly weaker field.

You can find Nick on Twitter @YNWA9623, Mike @Mike_Sheerin, Tyler @TMon_19 and Sean @SeanMartinNFL. Subscribe to the site by hitting the follow button in the bottom right corner and entering your email address. Check out our Instagram feed @thebroadwaybreakdownsports for special gameday and promotional content. We have also launched a podcast which carries the same name as the Instagram account. Visit the Rangers Ed Shop by clicking the link on our homepage. The store is live and Little Ed has been in the lab cooking up some can’t miss items for you fans. Check out our mailbag page to join the conversation here on the site and on our partners show, The Rangers Ed Podcast! We’ll be back with more soon!