Here on this page you will find college football previews for all the top 25 games on the schedule for the week in 2009. You will also find the previews for all the bowl games at the end of the college football season. Our professional sports handicapping columnists will provide these NCAA football matchup previews every week during the entire college football season. You can use these preview for assistance in making your college football picks and predictions this season or just recreational use. You can check this page every week for the updated top 25 game previews from Bankroll Sports. You will also find an achieve of all the previous week’s top 25 game previews on this page. Be sure to check out some of our other useful NCAA football handicapping tools on the Bankroll Sports website, including our college football top 25 page. Thanks for visiting Bankroll Sports. We wish you the best of luck.
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Saturday, November 10th
Kansas Jayhawks (1-8, 3-5-1 ATS) @ #22 Texas Tech Red Raiders (6-3, 6-3 ATS)
Time: 12:00 ET (FSN)
Opening Line: Texas Tech -25.5 (59) (Week 10 College Football Lines)
Kansas vs. Texas Tech Preview: Over the course of the last few years, the Red Raiders and Jayhawks have been on relatively level terms. After all, the last three clashes have all featured point spreads of a touchdown or less, though you wouldn't know that based upon the final score lines. The Red Raiders have won four straight meetings by at least 11 points, and that includes three straight covers, all in which they have scored at least 42 points. Kansas is clearly headed to a winless season against FBS teams and a winless season in the Big XII, and that is going to leave Head Coach Charlie Weis in a heck of a lot of trouble. There is still an outside chance for the Red Raiders to make it to the BCS, but obviously, punting this game would remove all chances of that happening. If Baylor was able to outgain Kansas by 324 yards last week, it is any wonder to think what the Air Raid is going to do.
Arkansas Razorbacks (4-5, 2-6 ATS) @ #8 South Carolina Gamecocks (7-2, 6-3 ATS)
Time: 12:00 ET (CBS)
Opening Line: South Carolina -14 (52.5)
Arkansas vs. South Carolina Preview: Remember when both of these teams were ranked in the Top 10 in the country and this figured to be a game to watch in the National Championship picture? South Carolina has pretty much done exactly what it was supposed to do this year, as anyone could have easily seen this team being anywhere from 8-1 to 6-3 at this point in the campaign. Arkansas though, has totally fallen from grace. The good news for the Razorbacks is that they are just two wins away from bowl eligibility. The problem is going to be finding those two wins. The best victory this team has this year might be the road win at Auburn, which isn't saying a whole heck of a lot, and with games against the Gamecocks, Mississippi State, and LSU, getting to six wins really doesn't seem all that likely. The talent is there to do it though, and it is clear that South Carolina looks like a deflated team. The Cocks have lost two of their last three both SU and ATS, and they only just barely escaped a very similar looking game last week against Tennessee. The Razorbacks have covered three straight, five out of six, and eight out of 10 in this series.
Iowa State Cyclones (5-4, 4-4-1 ATS) @ #17 Texas Longhorns (7-2, 4-5 ATS)
Time: 12:00 ET (Longhorn Network)
Opening Line: Texas -10 (57)
Iowa State vs. Texas Preview: Poor Iowa State might really be walking into a buzz saw in this one. The Cyclones know that they need just one more win to make it to a bowl game this year, but none of the games left are sure things. It would be really nice just to get that sixth win out of the way and be done with it. However, this one against the Longhorns was probably made a lot tougher when former Coach Darrell Royal passed away on Wednesday. Now, emotions are probably going to be running even higher for the Longhorns, who still have some fading BCS bowl hopes. If Oklahoma slips at any point though, one would like to think that the Fiesta Bowl or the Sugar Bowl would love to bring the Texas faithful to their bowl game, and with a second slot open from the Big XII, that distinct possibility is there. It would really help to win out though, something that just won't be the easiest thing in the world in the Big XII. These clubs have met in back to back years, and the road team has won both games. In fact, the visitors have covered six straight dating back to 2002, and the Cyclones even have their one upset here in Austin from 2010, a 28-21 triumph as 21-point underdogs.
#9 Louisville Cardinals (9-0, 4-5 ATS) @ Syracuse Orange (4-5, 3-5-1 ATS)
Time: 12:00 ET (ABC)
Opening Line: Louisville -3 (58)
Louisville vs. Syracuse Preview: It is clear that the Cardinals are going to have to win out if they are going to want to make it to the BCS this year, as even when teams are losing, they are still staying in front of them. That has to be driving Head Coach Charlie Strong nuts, as he contemplates what surely will be the possible move to an SEC or Big XII school at the end of the year. Meanwhile, he and his Louisville squad can't take its eye off the prize, a Big East title and a trip to the Orange Bowl. Syracuse is an underdog for sure to make it to a bowl game this year, and this prospective 5-7 team looks lot like last year's club. Head Coach Doug Marrone and the gang have had a much tougher road to get to this 4-5 point to the season than the Orange had last year though, and this is a winnable fixture as a result. It's going to take altering some immediate history though, as the Cards have won and covered two in a row. Before that though, there were five straight covers to speak of for the 'Cuse, including that infamous 37-point upset at Papa John's Cardinal Stadium back in 2007.
Army Black Knights (2-7, 3-6 ATS) @ #23 Rutgers Scarlet Knights (7-1, 5-3 ATS)
Time: 12:00 ET (ESPNU)
Opening Line: Rutgers -17 (51.5)
Army vs. Rutgers Preview: It's a very knightly battle going on in Piscataway this weekend, as the Scarlet Knights and the Black Knights wage war against the other. This is just another game for Army, which is going to finish out the year short of a bowl game once again under QB Trent Steelman's guidance. QB Gary Nova tossed six picks in his last game, Rutgers' only loss of the year to Kent State, and he is going to have to get back in the saddle quickly off of a bye week to keep the Scarlet Knights on the right track. The truth of the matter though, is that this game probably means virtually nothing in the grand scheme of things. There aren't going to be all that many bowl eligible teams out of the Big East this year, and since this isn't a conference game, it won't harm Rutgers should it lose. The team knows that winning out in the Big East will send it to the lucrative Orange Bowl whether this one is won or lost. Still, the Scarlet Knights have dominated this series, winning all eight of the games in this series since 1998, going 7-1 ATS in that stretch to boot.
#24 Northwestern Wildcats (7-2, 8-1 ATS) @ Michigan Wolverines (6-3, 4-5 ATS)
Time: 12:00 ET (ESPN)
Opening Line: Michigan -10.5 (52.5)
Northwestern vs. Michigan Preview: This is going to prove to be an elimination game in the race for the Legends Division title this week in Ann Arbor, as the Wolverines and the Wildcats do battle. Odds have it, both teams are in terrible shape one way or the other, and Northwestern will likely be knocked out of the running with a loss. Michigan though, can run the table and still maybe get into the BCS. With games against Northwestern, Iowa, and Ohio State, the pollsters will definitely be watching. There are at large spots to be had as well to the BCS, so even if Big Blue doesn't play in the Big Ten Championship Game, that doesn't mean that it will be out of the running for perhaps a spot in the Sugar Bowl. Remember, though the Wolverines do have three losses, those losses came to Nebraska, Notre Dame, and Alabama, and all three were either road games or de facto road games, and none of the losses are ones to be ashamed of. Northwestern is the ranked of these two teams, and it is riding high with covers in three of the last four in this series, but there is a reason that it is a double digit underdog on the road in the Big House.
Louisiana Lafayette Ragin' Cajuns (5-3, 4-4 ATS) @ #6 Florida Gators (8-1, 6-3 ATS)
Time: 12:21 ET (SEC Network)
Opening Line: Florida -26.5 (50.5)
Louisiana Lafayette vs. Florida Preview: The Gators merely have two tune-up games coming before the trip to Tallahassee to take on the Seminoles the weekend of Thanksgiving, but this isn't a game to totally sleep on. Remember that the Cajuns are one of the better teams in the Sun Belt this year, and as the Sun Belt has proven over the course of the last several months, this is a conference that is bridging the gap just a bit between itself and the rest of the country. There aren't many at the top of the Sun Belt that at least couldn't compete with most in the SEC, and this might prove to be no exception. We're not saying that this will be an outright upset, but remember that the Cajuns did stick around last year with some great teams, and this year's squad hasn't been much of an exception, scoring at least 37 points five times. Florida is going to need to put some points on the board to win. These two clubs have met three times since 1985, and of course, the Gators have won all three by at least 34 points each time.
Arizona State Sun Devils (5-4, 5-4 ATS) @ #19 USC Trojans (6-3, 2-7 ATS)
Time: 3:00 ET (Pac-12 Network)
Opening Line: USC -9 (65.5)
Arizona State vs. USC Preview: Arizona State had been getting closer and closer to USC over the course of the last few years, and last season, they were able to pull off the upset and roar past the Men of Troy in the desert. Here's the next task, though. Winning at the LA Coliseum is a totally different challenge, but it is one that should not be considered a slam dunk for the Trojans. Southern Cal just has not lived up to its potential this year, but Head Coach Lane Kiffin has to impress upon his team that the season isn't over with. Winning out will send the Trojans to the Pac-12 Championship Game, and with some help, that might be good enough to get to the Rose Bowl regardless. Either winning the conference will get the job done, or a second loss to the Ducks could send USC to the Rose Bowl as the second rep from the Pac-12 to the BCS, even with four losses. But losing another one in the regular season is totally out of the question. ASU though, still has its sights set on Pasadena as well, and it will want to prove that it can do what its brothers from up the road in Tucson were able to do to the Trojans a few weeks ago.
#11 Oregon State Beavers (7-1, 6-2 ATS) @ #14 Stanford Cardinal (7-2, 5-4 ATS)
Time: 3:00 ET (FOX)
Opening Line: Stanford -4.5 (44.5)
Oregon State vs. Stanford Preview: There is a great chance that the game between Stanford and Oregon State could be for a slot in the Rose Bowl this year. Remember that these two teams are both chasing Oregon atop the Pac-12 North, but both could still get into the Pac-12 Championship Game by winning out. Stanford would need some additional help to do so, but even then, there is no doubt that a 10-2 team would be good enough to get into at least some BCS bowl game. Once upon a time, this looked like it was going to be a battle between QB Sean Mannion and QB Josh Nunes. However, both have since been benched, and it will be up to QB Cody Vaz and QB Kevin Hogan, a pair of youngsters, to try to lead very good teams to victory over the other. Stanford has won and covered the last two in this series, but this is the first time since 2009 that these two clubs have been on even the remotest of level terms. It should be a great one down on "The Farm" on Saturday afternoon.
#15 Texas A&M Aggies (7-2, 5-4 ATS) @ #1 Alabama Crimson Tide (9-0, 5-4 ATS)
Time: 3:30 ET (CBS)
Opening Line: Alabama -13.5 (56.5)
Week 10 NCAA Football Picks Game of the Week
Also One of our Best College Football Matchups of 2012
Maryland Terrapins (4-5, 4-5 ATS) @ #13 Clemson Tigers (8-1, 7-2 ATS)
Time: 3:30 ET (ESPNU)
Opening Line: Clemson -31.5 (55)
Maryland vs. Clemson Preview: You know that you're not in good shape when you've got four quarterbacks out for the season, and you have to use a linebacker to take snaps for you. That's the situation that poor Maryland is in at this point, and there is no doubt that it is done winning games this year. Head Coach Randy Edsall is doing everything that he can, including debuting the so called Wild Crab last week against Georgia Tech. It failed miserably and is expected to do so again this week. Clemson has been hot since losing to Florida State, and it has to think that three more wins, all of which are going to be games played here in Death Valley, will be good enough to send the Tigers to the BCS regardless of whether Florida State wins the ACC Atlantic Division or not. If by chance Florida State loses this weekend, the Tigers know that two more wins send them to the ACC Championship Game. Last year, the Tigers dropped 56 on the Terps in a nine-point win, and that was their second cover in a row after the Turtles had covered six of the previous eight.
Baylor Bears (4-4, 4-4 ATS) vs. #12 Oklahoma Sooners (6-2, 5-3 ATS)
Time: 3:30 ET (FSN)
Opening Line: Oklahoma -21.5 (78)
Baylor vs. Oklahoma Preview: QB Nick Florence is going to have to channel is inner-Robert Griffin III if he is going to find a way to win this game. Last year in Waco, the Bears were 16.5 point underdogs to the Sooners, and RGIII went nuts, throwing for 485 yards in a 45-38 upset that send Floyd Casey Stadium into hysteria. Oklahoma is going to be looking for revenge in this one, and it is an important spot for both teams for sure. The Sooners are trying to keep their BCS bowl hopes alive, knowing that they need just four more wins to likely ensure a spot in the Fiesta Bowl or the Orange Bowl, while Baylor is just trying to piece together two more wins from somewhere just to get into a bowl game. The good news for the Bears is that they have scored at least 41 points 10 times in their last 12 games, but the bad news is that they haven't beaten a (legitimate) Big XII team this year (sorry Kansas, you don't count). Baylor does have six covers in the last nine in this series though, and that shouldn't be forgotten in this mix either.
Penn State Nittany Lions (6-3, 7-2 ATS) @ #16 Nebraska Cornhuskers (7-2, 5-4 ATS)
Time: 3:30 ET (ABC or ESPN2)
Opening Line: Nebraska -7 (52.5)
Penn State vs. Nebraska Preview: The Nittany Lions are riding the nation's longest cover streak right now at seven games, and they are hoping to get the job done this weekend to spoil the season of the Cornhuskers. It truly would be a turnabout fair play, as Nebraska was able to come on the road to Happy Valley in the first home game in the post-Joe Paterno era at Penn State and log a 17-14 win that helped take any chance of the Big Ten Championship Game away from the Nittany Lions. Now, it's Nebraska that needs wins to get into a spot to challenge for the Rose Bowl this year, and that's going to make this a very tough game against a very hungry team with nothing else to play for. The last time the Cornhuskers played an ineligible team for a bowl game, they were ripped to shreds on the road by Ohio State. This is a much different game, but the Nittany Lions do have a great history in this series as well. They have a win over the then-No. 1 ranked Cornhuskers 40-7 in 2002 to go with a 2-0-1 ATS record in the three meetings in the last decade and a half.
#2 Kansas State Wildcats (9-0, 7-1-1 ATS) @ TCU Horned Frogs (6-3, 4-5 ATS)
Time: 7:00 ET (FOX)
Opening Line: Kansas State -7.5 (60)
Kansas State vs. TCU Preview: All eyes are going to be on QB Collin Klein in this one. He was knocked out of last week's win over Oklahoma State with an undisclosed injury, and it was only announced in the middle of the week that he is going to be back in the saddle for this one. Still, it is totally unknown whether Klein is truly good to go or not, and we'll find out in a hurry against a great TCU defense that has done a real number on some of the best teams in the Big XII this year. The Horned Frogs are still hoping to get back into the Top 25, and the truth of the matter is that their difficult schedule might actually allow them to get back in the BCS conversations if they can win out, though there probably isn't going to be a game for the rest of the year in which they are favored. These two teams have only met twice since 1985, a home in home series in '85 and '86. The Horned Frogs won both games, but the Wildcats stuck in front of huge college football point spreads.
#20 Louisiana Tech Bulldogs (8-1, 5-3 ATS) @ Texas State Bobcats (3-5, 5-3 ATS)
Time: 7:00 ET (Longhorn Network)
Opening Line: Louisiana Tech -20 (71)
Louisiana Tech vs. Texas State Preview: Texas State is one of the newest members to major college football, and it is at least holding its own. However, the club was outgained by 435 yards last week in a bad loss to Utah State, and it was outdone by 268 yards the week before by San Jose State. Yes, this game is at home, but it is coming against a team that once outgained Idaho by 535 total yards of offense! The Bulldogs are legit, and they are ranked for a reason. They were the biggest winners, arguably in the entire country last week when Boise State was beaten, and now, as long as San Jose State and Utah State continue to win, these games against these teams very well could be the ones that put La Tech and its wild offense into the BCS. First things first, though, and that means taking care of the Bobcats in what amounts to be the biggest game that they have ever played at the FBS level at home.
#21 Mississippi State Bulldogs (7-2, 5-4 ATS) @ #7 LSU Tigers (7-2, 4-5 ATS)
Time: 7:00 ET (ESPN)
Opening Line: LSU -14.5 (43.5)
Mississippi State vs. LSU Preview: The Bayou Bengals are hardly ever beaten at night, but they were done in last week at the death by the top ranked team in the country. The odds aren't all that great that they are going to lose a second straight game at home at night, especially with this one coming against a Mississippi State team that has truly turned out to be nothing but a pretender in a conference full of big boys. The Bulldogs have been romped in back to back weeks by Texas A&M and Alabama, and now, they really can do nothing but hope that they get a call from one of the bowl games in Florida in January. The Tigers aren't out of the National Championship picture yet, but their hopes of winning another SEC crown are now out of the question. Winning out should at least put LSU on the map for the Sugar Bowl, but even that is going to take some help. The Tigers have covered two straight and seven out of 10 in this series dating back to 2002, and the Bulldogs are just 1-19 in this series over the course of the last two decades.
#5 Georgia Bulldogs (8-1, 4-5 ATS) @ Auburn Tigers (2-7, 3-6 ATS)
Time: 7:00 ET (ESPN2)
Opening Line: Georgia -16 (51.5)
Georgia vs. Auburn Preview: Normally speaking, there aren't many people who cheer harder for Auburn than Auburn fans, but this week, Florida fans might be cheering even harder for War Eagle. Why is that? If Georgia wins this game, it will be headed to the SEC Championship Game with a shot to take on most likely the Crimson Tide. If the Dawgs lose, it will be the Gators going to Atlanta for the biggest game on the SEC docket this year. The Bulldogs are sort of lurking around right now at the No. 5 position in the country, but they have a very easy schedule left and should be 11-1 going into the SEC Championship Game. If that turns out to be the case, beating Alabama might actually put them into a position to play for all of the marbles, though obviously, it is going to be tough to tame the Tide. Auburn does have a win in this series, but that came with QB Cam Newton at quarterback in the National Championship campaign. Aside from that, Georgia is 4-1 ATS and 5-0 SU over the course of the last five years. This might be one of the last times that we see Head Coach Gene Chizik donning Auburn colors as well.
#4 Notre Dame Fighting Irish (9-0, 5-4 ATS) @ Boston College Eagles (2-7, 2-7 ATS)
Time: 8:00 ET (ABC)
Opening Line: Notre Dame -18.5 (47.5)
Notre Dame vs. Boston College Preview: There definitely is at least something to be said about this game potentially being competitive. The Fighting Irish have really played poorly against some teams that they were supposed to kill this year, knowing that Stanford, BYU, Purdue, and now Pittsburgh all took them down to the wire. This was the case last year as well when BC was a 24-point underdog in South Bend, but it only lost by two points. The good news for Notre Dame though, is that it is 4-0 SU and ATS when playing away from South Bend this year, and all of those games have been decided by 17 points or greater. That's the more likely scenario to have played out again in this one, because the Eagles are atrocious, and they clearly have given up on Head Coach Frank Spaziani. It's anyone's guess why the 2-7 Eagles, who aren't going to a bowl game this year, are even retaining Coach Spaz at this point, but at least he has a decent history of playing against the Golden Domers. BC is 3-1 ATS in spite of just its 1-3 SU record in the last four in this series.
#18 UCLA Bruins (7-2, 6-3 ATS) @ Washington State Cougars (2-7, 3-5-1 ATS)
Time: 10:30 ET (ESPN2)
Opening Line: UCLA -15 (60.5)
UCLA vs. Washington State Preview: The Bruins are more or less the forgotten team right now in the Pac-12. All eyes have been fixated on Oregon, USC, Oregon State, and Stanford, and the assumption is that two of those teams are going to be in the BCS when push comes to shove. However, the Bruins probably have more of a right to the BCS than all of those teams aside from the Ducks, knowing that they can still win the Pac-12 South by winning out. The Bruins are ranked in front of USC for the first time in over a decade, and Head Coach Jim Mora Jr. truly has done a remarkable job getting this club back on the up and up this year. QB Brett Hundley has been amazing, and it is clear that he and QB Marcus Mariota are the future of the Pac-12 for the next few years. This is a game that should prove to be nothing more than a walkover for the Bruins, who have won four in a row against a hapless Washington State team that just suspended its best player, WR Marquess Wilson. Keep in mind though, that Wazzu did cover back to back games in this series, and it nearly pulled off the upset last year at the Rose Bowl when these two teams collided.
#3 Oregon Ducks (9-0, 5-4 ATS) @ California Golden Bears (3-7, 3-7 ATS)
Time: 10:30 ET (ESPN)
Opening Line: Oregon -28 (67.5)
Oregon vs. California Preview: Head Coach Jeff Tedford is another one of these coaches that are going to be at home this week with a chance to pull off a huge upset over a BCS National Championship contender. However, all three are clearly going to end up getting beaten barring a miracle, and Tedford knows it. The Golden Bears have a lot more talent than that of a 3-7 team, and they showed it on a few instances this year, namely when they went to the Horseshoe and pushed the still undefeated Buckeyes to the brink. However, Oregon is just on a different planet than the rest of the teams in the Pac-12 right now, and it is definitely showing. Expect to see a ton of points put on the board once again in this one, though the last time the Quack Attack came to San Fran, it was nearly beaten in an ugly 15-13 game. The Ducks have covered four in a row in conference play and have really kicked it into gear after starting off the season with some somewhat drab efforts. Oregon though, is just 2-4 ATS in the last six in this series.
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