Texas Tech-Oklahoma Repercussions

Cfootball Betting Lines

11/18/2008 - Philadelphia, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - With three weeks left to play, there's a chance that only three games could determine which two teams reach the BCS Championship. Those matchups include the SEC and Big 12 title games, along with this Saturday's Texas Tech-Oklahoma contest.

Texas Tech is the heavy underdog (anywhere between six and seven points) despite being the higher-ranked club. More importantly to the bettors, these two teams have offenses that have been impossible to shut down, as evidenced by their over/under totals.

The Sooners have gone over the number in six straight contests, and are 8-1 to the over in nine lined games this year. On the other side, Texas Tech started slowly, going under in its first two board games, but has erupted of late with a 5-0-1 record to the over in its last six.

Not only could this battle between the Red Raiders and Sooners decide which team winds up in Miami on January 8, it will go a long way in determining which club wins the Big 12 South along with the conference championship.

Oklahoma was the heavy divisional preseason favorite at odds of 4-7, Texas was the second choice at 5-2, and Texas Tech was 4-1.

A Texas Tech victory this Saturday could end all speculation since the Red Raiders' final game is a home matchup vs. Baylor. However, if Oklahoma gets the win, the picture becomes extremely muddled.

Assuming the Sooners defeat Oklahoma State the following week, and Texas Tech and Texas both win at home as favorites over Baylor and Texas A&M, respectively, all three teams will end the regular season 11-1 and 7-1 in league play.

The winner of the division, based on the tiebreakers, will be the team that finishes highest in the November 30 BCS Poll, and all signals lead to Oklahoma being the one that will advance to play Missouri in the Big 12 championship contest.

If the Sooners win out, they will most likely get the nod since a victory over the second-ranked Red Raiders and a highly rated Oklahoma State squad should be enough to move them ahead of Texas and Texas Tech in the BCS Poll.

The biggest losers will be those folks who wagered on the Longhorns at 5-2 to win the South, and 2-1 to win the conference title. Imagine their agony if the BCS Poll decides that Oklahoma should represent the division instead of their Longhorns, who not only defeated the Sooners by 10 points on a neutral site, but were the only one of the top three teams in the South to play (and beat) Missouri during the regular season.

The point could become moot if Texas Tech wins this Saturday, and if that happens, not a single bettor who wagered on Texas or Oklahoma could cry foul.

THE NEW TOP 10 AND THE UPDATED RECORD

The Gators are pouring it on. After blowing out South Carolina, they have opened up a 6.5-point lead on second place USC in the new Jeff Frank Top 10. Texas moved into a third-place tie with Oklahoma while Texas Tech remains a distant fifth. Here are the new rankings:

1) Florida, 115.5; 2) USC, 109; 3-T) Texas and Oklahoma, 108; 5) Texas Tech, 104.5; 6) Penn State, 101; 7) Missouri, 99.5; 8-T) Alabama and Ohio State, 99; 10) Oklahoma State, 98

The overall record now stands at 46-43 with a 21-15 mark in key plays (1-1 last week, W - Nevada, L - Illinois) and a 25-28 record in secondary selections (2-3 last week, W - New Mexico State and Stanford, L - Louisiana Tech, Mississippi State and Kansas State).

THIS WEEK'S TOP PLAYS

NC State has turned its season around with a pair of wins in its last two games. The fact that the Wolfpack is still bowl eligible is a remarkable achievement, considering the team lost six of its first seven this year against FBS competition.

Quarterback Daniel Wilson, who has not thrown an interception in six straight games, continues to impress, leading the team back from the dead with victories over Duke and Wake Forest. In addition, the redshirt freshman has thrown eight touchdown passes in his last five games.

North Carolina came close to knocking off the Terrapins in College Park, falling by two points in the rain this past Saturday. The Tar Heels have now scored a total of two touchdowns in seven of their last eight quarters. There is a chance T.J. Yates could start at quarterback this week, but one wonders how effective he'll be with just three pass attempts since the third game of the season.

A victory over Maryland would have put North Carolina in the driver's seat to win the ACC Coastal. Now the Tar Heels must win out and hope for tons of help along the way. They are double-digit favorites vs. NC State in a game they are supposed to win. Nonetheless, don't be surprised if the Wolfpack not only covers its sixth straight game, but also wins its third consecutive straight- up contest.

Take NC State plus the points.

Once upon a time, Penn State had a chance to go to the BCS title game. A loss to Iowa dropped the Nittany Lions out of the running, and now Joe Paterno's club must defeat Michigan State just to go to the Rose Bowl.

If PSU comes out of the chute the same way it did vs. Indiana last week, the team could be in for a long afternoon. Michigan State got the best of Penn State last season and almost knocked off the Lions at Beaver Stadium back in 2006, losing a four-point decision. Not only have the Spartans covered eight of their last 10 road games, they have not lost a game away from home by more than a touchdown under second-year head coach Mark Dantonio.

Take Michigan State plus the points.

Ole Miss at LSU is a battle of two teams going in opposite directions. The Rebels are bowl-eligible for the first time since Eli Manning was under center back in 2003, while the Tigers have lost three games in a season for the first time since Les Miles took over the program from Nick Saban.

LSU failed to defeat its former coach two weeks ago and then barely got past Troy in its next game, needing a wild fourth quarter rally to knock off the Trojans, 40-31. It's obvious the Tigers are a team in disarray.

On the other side, Ole Miss has been a terror away from Oxford this season already knocking off Florida and losing to Alabama and Wake Forest by a combined six points. Additionally, the Rebels have come close to beating LSU in Baton Rouge in the recent past, dropping a pair of three-point decisions the last two trips to Louisiana. This year they'll get the job done.

Take Ole Miss to upset the Tigers.

Why in the world is Houston favored by over two touchdowns against Texas-El Paso? It's true the Cougars blasted Tulsa last week but Arkansas showed that defeating the Golden Hurricane is not an impossible task.

The Miners, who have won five of their last seven games, have gotten great production from quarterback Trevor Vittatoe. The sophomore has thrown 25 touchdown passes with just three interceptions in those seven contests.

UTEP needs just one more win for bowl eligibility and when one considers the fact the team has not been victorious in its final game since 1988, a win here is imperative to have any hope at postseason play.

Take the Miners plus the points.

Finally, the game of the year has turned into just another best bet due to injuries. If quarterback Casey Dick and running back Michael Smith were 100% healthy, Arkansas would devour Mississippi State. Unfortunately, Dick might not start after suffering a concussion in the loss to South Carolina two weeks ago, and Smith will have to wear a neck roll to prevent further damage to the area.

Still, one has to love how far the Razorbacks have come since the start of the season. They barely got past the likes of Western Illinois and UL-Monroe before being outscored by over 100 points in losses to Alabama, Texas and Florida. Since then, the Hogs are 2-3 but the three losses have come by a combined six points.

The Bulldogs have had trouble scoring all season long, and are averaging 11 points per game in SEC play. They were also been eliminated from postseason play with Saturday's 32-7 loss to Alabama. With the rivalry game coming up the following Saturday at Ole Miss, it's doubtful Mississippi State will have much to play for this weekend.

Despite the injuries, look for the Razorbacks to pull out the victory in Starkville against a team they have not lost to since 1998.

Take Arkansas over Mississippi State

This week's secondary selections are Pittsburgh, Air Force, Stanford, New Mexico State, Texas Tech and Oregon State.