Iowa (-5) vs. Wisconsin – The home Hawks opened as 5 point favorites, but books have pushed this up to 5 ½ points. Iowa is coming off a solid victory over Michigan in Ann Arbor. The Hawk defense kept Denard Robinson in check. Wisconsin won an impressive victory over then-number one Ohio State. The Badgers have one of the best rushing attacks in the country. The Badger o-line vs. the Hawkeye front 4 will be one of the best battles in the trenches of any game all season long.
Michigan State (-7 ½) at Northwestern – The Spartans started as 7 ½ point favorites, but most books have come down to 5 points. Sparty is still undefeated, but this will be their first game outside of the state of Michigan. They’re coming off big wins over Illinois, Michigan, and Wisconsin. Northwestern is coming off their bye, so they’ll be prepared for the Spartans. The Wildcats’ only loss came against Purdue by a field goal.
Oklahoma (-2 ½) at Missouri – The Sooners opened as 2 ½ point road favorites, but most sportsbooks have moved that up to 3. Oklahoma is the current number one team in the BCS standings, but they have to go on the road to face an undefeated Missouri team. The Sooners are coming off a 52 point drubbing of Iowa State. Mizzou keeps rolling along. They beat up on Texas A&M in College Station, which is not an easy place to play. The Tiger defense has been stellar as of late. But this is by far their biggest challenge. Missouri can make a major statement if they find a way to beat the mighty Sooners.
Nebraska (-4) at Oklahoma State – Nebraska started as 4 point road favorites, but many sites have gone up to 6 points. The Huskers got roughed up in Lincoln by a resurgent Longhorn team. Taylor Martinez had a tough day, but his receivers didn’t give him much help. The Nebraska defense wasn’t great, but they played well enough. The offense gave them no help. Oklahoma State won in Lubbock, which they haven’t done in many years. They beat the Red Raiders handily, too. Kendall Hunter is a great back, and the Cowboys have some good, young talent. Things keep looking up in Stillwater.
Auburn (-5) vs. LSU – The biggest game of the day takes place in the SEC. The home Tigers opened as 5 point favorites, but the line has gone up to 6 with most books. Auburn probably has the most impressive body of work to date. They beat the tar out of a decent Arkansas team, hanging 65 points on the Razorbacks. If they can get by LSU, look for them to make a jump in the polls. The same can be said of LSU. They’ve won some impressive games, and if they can beat Auburn on the road, don’t be surprised if the Tigers make a leap in the rankings.
TCU (-19) vs. Air Force – TCU started as 19 point home favorites against Air Force, but books are currently listing the game at either 18 ½ or 19 points. The Horned Frogs have given up just 3 points in their last 3 games, which is spectacular. The offense is balanced and has a lot of veterans. This is a good football team, but they need to keep winning impressively if they hope to play for the national championship. Air Force lost a heartbreaker to San Diego State on the road, but they’ve played well this year. Their only other loss was at Oklahoma by a field goal. The Falcons’ triple option will put pressure on the TCU defense, but Air Force also has a good defense. This will be a good test for TCU.
