Scott Van Pelt
Scott Van Pelt is an ESPN sportscaster who is known for his popular “Winners picks” segment on SportsCenter, where he provides his predictions for upcoming college football games.
Each week during the college football season, Van Pelt analyzes the schedule and picks a handful of teams that he expects to win their games outright. His selections, which he calls his “Bad Beats” to win, are made both on analytic factors like team strengths and matchups, as well as occasionally on hunches.
Van Pelt takes an irreverent and comedic approach to justifying his choices, playing off his reputation as a gambling enthusiast. While his picks are intended more for entertainment than rigorous analysis, Van Pelt has a reasonably good track record of selecting successful teams. His unique blend of sports acumen and humor has made the Winners picks a beloved segment for college football fans tuning into his late-night SportsCenter shows.
Adding to the excitement of the Winners segment is Van Pelt’s sidekick, Stanford Steve, who also offers his own college football picks. Stanford Steve, a former college football player himself, brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to the table, providing additional depth to the analysis. Together, Scott Van Pelt and Stanford Steve create a dynamic duo that keeps fans engaged and informed as they make their college football picks each week.