Oklahoma State (-9) vs. Baylor – The Cowboys opened as 9 point favorites, but early sharp money has brought that down to 7 ½ with most books. Okie State won a tough road game at Kansas State last week, while Baylor won in Austin. Two of the Big 12’s top offenses will be on the field, and the total has already moved up to 73 points. Surprisingly, this is an important game in the Big 12 South.
South Carolina (-3) vs. Arkansas – The Gamecocks opened as 3 point home favorites and the line has stayed there for now. South Carolina was sloppy against Tennessee, but still managed to win by two touchdowns. Steve Spurrier’s bunch is looking good in the SEC East. Arkansas has put together an impressive season. Their only two losses are against Alabama and Auburn. Bobby Petrino is again making his presence felt in the college game.
Boise State (-23 ½) vs. Hawaii – The Broncos started as 23 ½ point home favorites against Hawaii, but the line has been bought down to 21. Boise has been predictably solid all year. Their hopes of playing for the national championship are still alive. Hawaii has been a pleasant surprise. At 7-2, the Warriors are already bowl eligible. They don’t usually play well away from home, but Hawaii has been on a roll. The Warriors like to sling the ball, and everyone knows Boise can score. The total is already up to 66 points.
Stanford (-7) vs. Arizona – The best game in the Pac 10 is between two 7-1 teams. Stanford opened as a 7 point favorite, but that line has been bumped up to 9 or 9 ½ points. The Cardinal is coming off a butt whooping of Washington at Husky Stadium. Arizona took care of UCLA on the road. Two of the Conference’s better defenses will be on the field. If Arizona can win this game, their showdown with Oregon gets much bigger.
TCU (-4 ½) at Utah – The biggest game of the week takes place in the Mountain West Conference between two of college football’s remaining unbeaten teams. Texas Christian started as 4 ½ point road favorites, and while some books are sticking with the opening number, a few others have moved up to 5 points. The Horned Frogs have been on a roll, and the defense has been suffocating. But they have to go on the road to battle a quality Utah squad. The Utes had a difficult game in Colorado Springs last week, but managed to fend off the Falcons’ upset bid. The winner has an outside shot at playing for the national championship.
Alabama (-6 ½) at LSU – The SEC has another big game this Saturday. The Crimson Tide opened as 6 ½ point road favorites, but most sites have come down to 6 points. If Alabama can beat the Tigers, their showdown with Auburn will likely decide which team plays for the national championship. But LSU wins, ‘Bama can forget about repeating. LSU’s rush defense had a tough day against Auburn, and this week won’t be much easier. The Tigers need some help if they hope to play for the SEC championship.
