College Football Matchups – Conference Matchups Have Huge Ramifications This Week
By Charles Jay
It doesn’t necessarily determine who gets into the final four of the college football playoff, but there are several games on Saturday that are going to have a definite impact on the races in the various major conferences. We take a quick look at some of them this week.
TCU Horned Frogs (+8) vs Baylor Bears (-8)
The TCU Horned Frogs are coming off a huge win last weekend, as they beat Oklahoma. That was obviously a “statement” for them, although they probably caught the Sooners looking ahead to the revenge game against Texas that takes place this week. This week the Frogs have to fill up the emotional tank as they visit Waco to play against the Baylor Bears, who are now ranked third in the AP and fifth in the coaches’ poll.
Bryce Petty is, of course, the more highly regarded quarterback in this matchup, although he is not having the same kind of success he did last year. Petty has nine touchdown passes and has been battling back problems. The winner of this game is a pretty good bet to be the Big 12 champion eventually. Baylor is an eight-point favorite in the college football betting odds at BetAnySports 3:30 PM ET), and sportsbook customers should be advised that the Bears have covered their last twelve games at home.
Auburn Tigers (-3) vs Mississippi State Bulldogs (+3)
The Mississippi State Bulldogs are a team that has beaten two opponents in the top ten, and that hasn’t happened in a long time. In last year’s meeting with the Auburn Tigers, they were snake-bitten, as they gave up a winning touchdown with eleven seconds left. Now they are able to play host to Auburn, which is currently second in the country in both major polls after their 41-7 rout of LSU. After a 17-point win over Texas A&M, Mississippi State is tied with Ole Miss for third in the Associated Press rankings (that would make for a heck of an Egg Bowl if that held up). And Dak Prescott is making a case for the Heisman, with 13 touchdowns and 455 rushing yards. Auburn, last year’s SEC champion, is a three-point favorite in college football betting, with a total of 64 points posted at BetAnySports (3:30 PM ET).
Ole Miss (+2) vs Texas A&M Aggies (-2)
And in the meantime, let’s talk about that in-state rival for Mississippi State, because the Ole Miss Rebels came up with an even bigger victory last week, as they knocked Alabama off its perch as the #1 team in the coaches’ poll. Yes, the argument will be raging in the state about who the best quarterback is, as Bo Wallace had 251 yards and three TD’s against the Tide. The Rebels are off to the their first 5-0 start since 1962, and with all due respect to Mr. Wallace, are doing it mostly with defense, as they have allowed just 10.2 points per game. Ranked sixth in the coaches’ poll and tied for third with Mississippi State in the AP rankings, they will face a formidable task this weekend as Texas A&M looks to rebound from its own loss to MSU. Kenny Hill did not help his own Heisman cause with three interceptions in the game. The Aggies are two-point favorites in the football odds at BetAnySports (9 PM ET).
Oregon Ducks (-2) vs UCLS Bruins (+2)
The Oregon Ducks and UCLA Bruins are coming off defeats, and they were rough to deal with. Oregon lost for the second straight year to Arizona, while UCLA allowed quarterback Brett Hundley to be sacked ten times and then missed two shots at a game-winning field goal to fall to Utah 30-28, It’s revenge for the Bruins, as Oregon rolled up 555 yards on the way to a 42-14 win in last year’s meeting. Both teams have big issues as far as the offensive line is concerned – so you might want to check the injury reports to see who can play and who can’t. Oregon is a two-point favorite in this 3:30 PM ET start at the Rose Bowl.
USC Trojans (-2.5) vs Arizona Wildcats (+2.5)
BetAnySports customers had to feel badly, regardless of what side they were on, about what they saw the USC Trojans go through in the waning moments last week. They were seeking a big revenge win over Arizona State, and thought they had it, but allowed a Hail Mary pass to be completed as time ran out to lose in heart-breaking fashion. They will have to gather themselves and get ready for the Arizona Wildcats, who defeated the aforementioned Oregon Ducks by a 31-24 count and establish themselves as the #10 team in the AP rankings. Anu Solomon, a freshman, is a dangerous trigger man for Rich Rodriguez’s spread offense, and the ‘Cats are the team looking for payback here. Yet in the college football betting odds, the Trojans are a 2.5-point favorite in Tucson in this 10:30 PM ET start.
Remember that you can get reduced juice on all of this action on the weekend when you sign up for an account at BetAnySports!