The Week 3 slate now takes center stage and Vegas has quickly moved to set lines for next weekend’s marquee matchups. After a chaotic Week 2 in college football, oddsmakers have their work cut out trying to cut through all the noise.
The third week features two ranked matchups, with No. 13 Miami facing its first test against No. 24 Texas A&M and No. 12 BYU trying to move to 3-0 against No. 25 Oregon. However, No. 1 Georgia also has an interesting battle against Spencer Rattler and South Carolina, while No. 6 Oklahoma travels to Nebraska in the wake of Scott Frost’s firing.
Elsewhere, a number of teams that experienced upsets have bounce-back opportunities with big lines to cover. No. 17 Baylor hosts Texas State with a line that clears 30 points, while No. 14 Utah faces its first FBS opponent since losing to Florida in the opener. No. 23 Pittsburgh travels to play Western Michigan after losing to Tennessee, while No. 22 Penn State hopes to close the door on Auburn.
Here are a few of the biggest spreads to watch for Week 3 with odds courtesy of Caesars Sportsbook.
No. 6 Oklahoma (-15) at Nebraska: This should be one of the wackiest games of the weekend. The Cornhuskers just fired their coach and now welcome a rival Sooners program that just made an external hire (Brent Venables) for the first time since 1999. Oklahoma enters as more than a two-touchdown favorite, but emotions will run high as Nebraska hosts its long-time rival in Lincoln for the first time since 2009, back when Venables was still defensive coordinator for the Sooners. The matchup between these two teams in Norman last season was decided by just seven points.
No. 12 BYU (+3.5) at No. 25 Oregon: The Cougars are fresh off a signature victory against Baylor, but things don’t let up with a trip to Oregon this week. The offense was a slog against Baylor’s physical defense, but the Ducks should provide a much-needed respite after they allowed 571 yards against No. 1 Georgia in their opener. If the Cougars get receivers Puka Nacua and Gunner Romney back to pair with quarterback Jaren Hall, underdog BYU could be the best value play of the weekend.
No. 11 Michigan State (PK) at Washington: This ranks among my most slept-on nonconference games of the season, and Washington’s early performance ups the intrigue. The Spartans had some shaky moments in Week 1, but found their groove rushing the ball against Akron in Week 2. However, Washington has seemingly revitalized Michael Penix Jr.’s career; the Indiana transfer quarterback has 682 yards passing and six touchdowns in his first two games. The Huskies can win this game and make a national statement.
No. 13 Miami (+6.5) at No. 24 Texas A&M: Neither of these teams looked good against Sun Belt foes last weekend, but the Hurricanes pulled away against Southern Miss. The Aggies, meanwhile, suffered one of the worst losses in program history to the Appalachian State. Texas A&M hasn’t generated any sustainable offense through its first two games, including just 186 total yards against the Mountaineers. The Hurricanes aren’t perfect, but they can move the ball. The Aggies are getting way too much respect from Vegas.
Fresno State (+14) at No. 7 USC: The Trojans are one of the biggest stories in college football thanks to Lincoln Riley’s arrival, but Fresno State is a giant killer. Last season, the Bulldogs pushed Oregon to the wire and beat both UCLA and San Diego State in thrilling games. Early returns of USC are off the charts after cruising to a 35-14 halftime lead on the road against Stanford in a 41-28 victory. The Bulldogs are a far more challenging test, though. This is a big line.
best of the rest
No. 1 Georgia at South Carolina (+25.5)
ULM at No. 2 Alabama (-49)
Toledo at No. 3 Ohio State (-31.5)
Louisiana Tech at No. 5 Clemson (-31)
San Diego State at No. 14 Utah (-23)
Texas Tech at No. 16 NC State (-8)
Texas State at No. 17 Baylor (-33.5)
South Florida at No. 18 Florida (-26)
Liberty at No. 19 Wake Forest (-16)
No. 20 Ole Miss at Georgia Tech (+16)
UTSA at No. 21 Texas (-13)
No. 22 Penn State at Auburn (+2.5)
No. 23 Pittsburgh at Western Michigan (+10)
www.cbssports.com
George is Digismak’s reported cum editor with 13 years of experience in Journalism