Sharp handicappers are always on the lookout for motivational factors. These five games have some big ones.
Texas Tech Red Raiders at Texas Longhorns (NL), Sept. 19
The Longhorns can blame Oklahoma for last year’s BCS title game snub all they want. But it was really the Red Raiders who kept Texas from facing Florida.
Michael Crabtee hauled in a 28-yard touchdown pass with one second left to upset the top-ranked Longhorns last year in Lubbock. It was especially painful, because freshman safety Blake Gideon dropped an easy interception on the play before.
This year’s instate battle is in Austin and comes after the Longhorns’ trip to Wyoming.
Texas is 4-1 ATS at home in its last five against the Red Raiders.
Tennessee Volunteers at Florida Gators (-24), Sept. 19
New Tennessee coach Lane Kiffin has yet to shut his mouth since arriving in Knoxville. He wrongly accused Gator coach Urban Meyer of a recruiting violation then committed a half dozen himself.
He reportedly told a South Carolina recruit that he’d “be pumping gas” if he signed with the Gamecocks instead of the Vols.
You got to wonder how Meyer and the Gators will welcome Kiffin to the SEC.
Only having to give 24 seems like a gift right now.
Iowa Hawkeyes at Penn State Nittany Lions (-7.5), Sept. 26
This one should be a dandy, with the Nittany Lions trying to avenge last year’s stunning loss to the Hawkeyes as 7.5-point favorites.
Penn State was coming off a big win at Ohio State and headed into November with what looked like a clear path to the BCS title.
But Iowa upended the Nittany Lions with a winning field goal on the game’s final play.
Before jumping on board Joe Pa for the rematch, keep in mind that the Hawkeyes have won four of their last five trips to Beaver Stadium.
Oklahoma Sooners vs. Texas Longhorns (-1), Oct. 17
Looks like oddsmakers are using the old adage “you have to make someone a favorite so the squares know who to bet on.”
With revenge on their minds, these two rivals are very evenly matched, as the early line suggests.
Pay close attention to where the number ends up and ask yourself what happened in the first month of the season that made it move.
Oregon State Beavers at USC Trojans (NL), Oct. 24
In front of a national Thursday night audience, the Trojans walked into Corvalis as 25-point favorites and promptly laid an egg.
The Beavers jumped ahead 21-0 and held off a furious USC rally to deliver a blow the Trojans would not recover from.
Southern Cal will look to take out some frustration on the Beavers in L.A., where they have covered six of the last eight against OSU.