If you’re expecting Oklahoma and Texas to make big splashes in the SEC, you might want to take a closer look at reality. It is true that Texas played Alabama close at home and had a chance to beat the Crimson Tide, but their inability to handle Texas Tech on the road may show that they lack the stamina to make a real run in a much better conference. Oklahoma’s chronic struggles with the likes of Kansas State and Iowa State in conference play may show us that Lincoln Riley’s Air Raid offense, along with a great deal of marketing, may have obscured the reality of the Big 12 – a conference that does not appear to have any more claim to Power status than, say, the AAC, which the Big 12 has decided to raid after losing its two most marketable schools to the SEC. The AP top 25 stayed largely the same this week, with the notable exceptions of the rise of Minnesota after the Golden Gophers trounced Michigan State on the road, and the fall of Arkansas, who lost in Arlington to Texas A&M, who are somehow once again ranked despite that home loss to Appalachian State. Check out the updated rankings as well as some other items that may influence your College Football betting this weekend.
NCAA News: College Football Top 25 Analysis & Betting Opportunities
#1 Georgia Bulldogs
#2 Alabama Crimson Tide
#3 Ohio State Buckeyes
#4 Michigan Wolverines
#5 Clemson Tigers
#6 USC Trojans
#7 Kentucky Wildcats
#8 Tennessee Volunteers
#9 Oklahoma State Cowboys
#10 N.C. State Wolfpack
#11 Penn State Nittany Lions
#12 Utah Utes
#13 Oregon Ducks
#14 Ole Miss Rebels
#15 Washington Huskies
#16 Baylor Bears
#17 Texas A&M Aggies
#18 Oklahoma Sooners
#19 BYU Cougars
#20 Arkansas Razorbacks
#21 Minnesota Golden Gophers
#22 Wake Forest Demon Deacons
#23 Florida State Seminoles
#24 Pitt Panthers
#25 Kansas State Wildcats
BYU hosts Utah State on Thursday night, and the Cougars roll in as 24-point favorites. There are only four FBS programs that have failed to cover in all four weeks this season, and Utah State is one of them. In fact, when they have been double-digit underdogs, since 2017, they have covered twice in a dozen opportunities (although that number improves to once in two opportunities under head coach Blake Anderson). Since Kalani Sitake took over as head coach at BYU, he has a record of just 3-2 straight up and against the spread against Utah State. The last time BYU was this heavily favored against Utah State, the year was 2008, and the spread was 29. This is a lot of points to give for a midweek game, when offenses tend to contract a bit because of the short preparation week. Utah State to cover.
Michigan heads west to Iowa this weekend, and the Wolverines are 10-point favorites on the road. They will play in that noon Eastern time slot that the Big Ten has somehow inherited from FOX, and so we will see whether the teams are ready that early in the day. Iowa has done well against top teams in recent years, covering in nine of 11 games against teams in the AP Top 5 since the start of the 2008 campaign. Michigan has covered 11 times in 15 opportunities as the favorite since the beginning of the 2021 season, a cover percentage that leads the Big Ten during that time for schools who have played at least 10 games as the favorite. The point total is just 42.5, which is fairly low for college football, but Iowa’s offense has been lethargic all season long. Michigan has dropped four straight at Iowa (but covered in two of those), and seven of Michigan’s last eight games away from Ann Arbor have beaten the point total. Given Michigan’s struggles in Iowa City, this game has some interesting possibilities. Iowa to cover, under 42.5 points.
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