Week 3 of the 2012 college football campaign is going to get underway this weekend. Below you will find the current list of 2012 Week 3 NCAA football lines and spreads along with a breakdown of the Week 3 college football lines. Be sure to check out the free NCAA football picks from the expert handicappers at Bankroll Sports this weekend!

It is going to be a great week of college football betting action over the course of the weekend, and there are some great rivalries, especially in the SEC that are going to be highlighted. But before we get to the games in the Southeast, we’re going to take a look at the games on the college football schedule at the outset of the week.

We’ll start in the Big East, where the Rutgers Scarlet Knights and the South Florida Bulls will do battle. There is no doubt whatsoever that this is going to be the game of the weekend in the Big East, as the loser of this one is probably going to have its BCS hopes crushed already in just Week 3. South Florida is clearly the better of these two teams, and that’s what we see right now on the college football opening lines, with the Bulls favored by 8.5 points.

On Friday night, the Washington State Cougars and UNLV Runnin’ Rebels are going to go to war against one another. These two teams are a combined 1-3 this year, and last week, both teams had all that they could ask for from a pair of FCS teams. UNLV dropped to 0-2 by losing to Northern Arizona, and Wazzu really should have been beaten by Eastern Washington. Needless to say, this isn’t going to be the sexiest game in the world, but it will be one to watch, as it is the only game on the docket. Check back later for the college football pointspread for this game.

And then we head to the games on Saturday, which really should be a doozy. Of course, the one that all eyes are going to be on is the one between the Alabama Crimson Tide and the Arkansas Razorbacks. This game, at least as of Sunday afternoon, is still off the board, knowing that QB Tyler Wilson might be out of the fold after suffering a terrible injury against Louisiana Monroe last week. Even worse was the fact that the Hogs lost that game. Now, they could go from a team that was ranked in the Top 10 in the land to one that could drop straight out of the Top 25 and be just a 1-2 team with a lot of questions to answer. Alabama was favored by six at the outset of the season, and if you want to see where this game ranks in our countdown of the Top 25 college football games of the year, be sure to check out our full Alabama vs. Arkansas Preview. Update 9/14: Alabama has opened up as a three-touchdown favorite on the road due to the fact that Wilson is not going to be in the lineup for the Razorbacks.

Over on the other side of the SEC, the Florida Gators and Tennessee Volunteers are going to do battle. These two teams have had a bitter rivalry against one another, and this should be no exception whatsoever. Florida was able to go on the road last week by beating the Texas A&M Aggies, and it is going to have to do so once again this week if it wants to keep this momentum going before the really tremendously difficult portion of the season gets going. The Gators are just a pick ’em though, meaning the Volunteers really have a legitimate chance to get the job done in Rocky Top.

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Meanwhile in the Pac-12, the No. 2 team in the country, the USC Trojans, are going to be facing their first really difficult road test when they go down to “The Farm” to take on the Stanford Cardinal. This is our No. 9 game in our countdown of the Top 25 games of the year, and our USC vs. Stanford Game Preview. As far as the NCAA football pointspread is concerned, the Men of Troy are favored by just 8.5-points, which is a field goal down from where the game opened up at the outset of the year.

Arch rivals are also going to be meeting each other in East Lansing, where the Notre Dame Fighting Irish and the Michigan State Spartans are going to be facing off. The last time that these two played here at Spartans Stadium, the game down to a fake field goal in overtime that was converted by the Spartans known as the “Little Giants” play. This time around, the Golden Domers are going to be looking for some payback, but it certainly isn’t going to come easily. The Irish were barely able to escape last week from the Purdue Boilermakers, and this week, they are 3.5-point underdogs on the opening college football lines.

Not every game is going to be nearly that close. The aforementioned Boilermakers are 22.5 point favorites over the Eastern Michigan Eagles, and they are amongst the 13 teams that are favored by more than three touchdowns on the opening line.

Three teams are favored by at least 40 though and that’s definitely not something that you see every single week when you’re just talking about teams that play each other at the FBS level. Amongst the teams that are expected to really falter this week are the Florida Atlantic Owls (+44.5 @ Georgia), Idaho Vandals (+43.5 @ LSU), and the biggest of the bunch, and Massachusetts Minutemen, who are getting 46.5 against the Michigan Wolverines in Ann Arbor.

All eyes are going to be on the Auburn Tigers on Saturday afternoon to start the day, as they are going to be on upset alert against the Louisiana Monroe Warhawks. These are the same Warhawks that were able to go into Little Rock and take down the Razorbacks last week. The challenge is significantly easier this week, knowing that the point spread is a solid two touchdowns shorter than it was then, but still, asking a team to win a game as 17-point underdogs on the road is never easy to do.

Another game of note pits the Navy Midshipmen against the Penn State Nittany Lions. PSU still hasn’t won its first game of the season, and if this one is lost, it is going to be a long, long uphill climb for the rest of the year. Navy was clocked the last time that we saw it over in Dublin against Notre Dame, but this time around, the Middies might be able to steal one on the road. The Midshipmen are 7.5-point underdogs, not all that far off from where the Ohio Bobcats were when they pulled off the upset in Week 1.

The TCU Horned Frogs are also set to open up their Big XII schedule for the first time in their school’s history, but this isn’t going to be all that much of a challenge. The Kansas Jayhawks are the biggest wrecks that the conference has to offer right now, and they are deserving 26.5-point underdogs at home to TCU.

The night on Saturday is going to end with the Utah Utes and the BYU Cougars in the “Holy War” in a battle that will clearly separate one of these two teams from the other. The Cougs could be thinking about the BCS at this point, knowing that they might be the only team in non-BCS conference fold that can run the table. It won’t mean anything without the win in Salt Lake City, though. The Utes, who lost to the Utah State Aggies for the first time last week in over a dozen years, are 2.5 point underdogs to their rivals from Provo.

2011 NCAA Football Week 3 Odds @ 5Dimes Sportsbook (as of 9/14/12):
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Week 3 CFB Betting Lines for Thursday, 9/13/12

103 Rutgers Scarlet Knights +7.5
104 South Florida Bulls -7.5
Over/Under 44.5

NCAA Football Lines for Week 3 for Friday, 9/14/12

105 Washington State Cougars -8
106 UNLV Runnin’ Rebels +8
Over/Under 55.5

College Football Week 3 Odds for Saturday, 9/15/12

107 Navy Midshipmen +7
108 Penn State Nittany Lions -7
Over/Under 47.5

109 Massachusetts Minutemen +45.5
110 Michigan Wolverines -45.5
Over/Under 53.5

111 Boston College Eagles +3.5
112 Northwestern Wildcats -3.5
Over/Under 54.5

113 Eastern Michigan Eagles +24
114 Purdue Boilermakers -24
Over/Under 50.5

115 Northern Illinois Huskies -3
116 Army Black Knights +3
Over/Under 48.5

117 Wake Forest Demon Deacons +27.5
118 Florida State Seminoles -27.5
Over/Under 54

119 Connecticut Huskies -2.5
120 Maryland Terrapins +2.5
Over/Under 40.5

121 Texas A&M Aggies -11
122 SMU Mustangs +11
Over/Under 61

123 Virginia Tech Hokies -10
124 Pittsburgh Panthers +10
Over/Under 45

125 USC Trojans -8.5
126 Stanford Cardinal +8.5
Over/Under 57

127 East Carolina Pirates +7.5
128 Southern Mississippi Golden Eagles -7.5
Over/Under 55

129 California Golden Bears +16.5
130 Ohio State Buckeyes -16.5
Over/Under 54.5

131 Texas Longhorns -9.5
132 Mississippi Rebels +9.5
Over/Under 51

133 Arizona State Sun Devils +3
134 Missouri Tigers -3
Over/Under 58.5

135 BYU Cougars -3.5
136 Utah Utes +3.5
Over/Under 46

137 North Carolina Tar Heels +3
138 Louisville Cardinals -3
Over/Under 56

139 Vigrinia Cavaliers +10
140 Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets -10
Over/Under 52.5

141 Alabama Crimson Tide -20
142 Arkansas Razorbacks +20
Over/Under 53.5

143 Miami Redhawks +21.5
144 Boise State Broncos -21.5
Over/Under 53.5

145 TCU Horned Frogs -21
146 Kansas Jayhawks +21
Over/Under 59.5

147 Rice Owls +21
148 Louisiana Tech Bulldogs -21
Over/Under 66

149 Western Michigan Broncos +3
150 Minnesota Golden Gophers -3
Over/Under 55.5

151 Bowling Green Falcons +3
152 Toledo Rockets -3
Over/Under 59

153 UAB Blazers +33.5
154 South Carolina Gamecocks -33.5
Over/Under 54.5

155 Ohio Bobcats -6.5
156 Marshall Thundering Herd +6.5
Over/Under 69.5

157 New Mexico Lobos +32.5
158 Texas Tech Red Raiders -32.5
Over/Under 62.5

159 Florida Gators +3
160 Tennessee Volunteers -3
Over/Under 47.5

161 Colorado State Rams +11
162 San Jose State Spartans -11
Over/Under 48

163 Utah State Aggies +13.5
164 Wisconsin Badgers -13.5
Over/Under 51

165 Idaho Vandals +42.5
166 LSU Tigers -42.5
Over/Under 54.5

167 Notre Dame Fighting Irish +5.5
168 Michigan State Spartans -5.5
Over/Under 44

169 Ball State Cardinals +2.5
170 Indiana Hoosiers -2.5
Over/Under 64

171 Colorado Buffaloes +15.5
172 Fresno State Bulldogs -15.5
Over/Under 57

173 New Mexico State Aggies +13
174 UTEP Miners -13
Over/Under 59

175 Houston Cougars +17
176 UCLA Bruins -17
Over/Under 76

177 Florida Atlantic Owls +41.5
178 Georgia Bulldogs -41.5
Over/Under 52.5

179 Arkansas State Red Wolves +23
180 Nebraska Cornhuskers -23
Over/Under 68

181 South Alabama Jaguars +30.5
182 North Carolina State Wolfpack -30.5
Over/Under 51

183 Florida International Golden Panthers +17
184 Central Florida Knights -17
Over/Under 50

185 Louisiana Lafayette Ragin’ Cajuns +23.5
186 Oklahoma State Cowboys -23.5
Over/Under 73.5

187 North Texas Mean Green +27.5
188 Kanas State Wildcats -27.5
Over/Under 54.5

189 Middle Tennessee State Blue Raiders -4
190 Memphis Tigers +4
Over/Under 54.5

191 Western Kentucky Hilltoppers +6.5
192 Kentucky Wildcats -6.5
Over/Under 49

193 Mississippi State Bulldogs -16
194 Troy Trojans +16
Over/Under 58

195 Louisiana Monroe Warhawks +16.5
196 Auburn Tigers -16.5
Over/Under 53.5

231 Charleston Southern Buccaneers +45
232 Illinois Fighting Illini -45

233 Bethune Cookman Wildcats +39
234 Miami Hurricanes -39

235 Western Illinois Leathernecks +36.5
236 Iowa State Cyclones -36.5

237 Presbyterian Blue Hose +39
238 Vanderbilt Commodores -39

239 Sam Houston State Bearkats +29.5
240 Baylor Bears -29.5

241 Texas San Antonio Roadrunners -8.5
242 Georgia State Panthers +8.5

243 Tennessee Tech Golden Eagles +51.5
244 Oregon Ducks -51.5

245 Furman Paladins OTB
246 Clemson Tigers OTB

247 West Virginia Mountaineers -38
248 James Madison Dukes +38

249 Northern Iowa Panthers +9
250 Iowa Hawkeyes -9

251 Morgan State Bears +4.5
252 Akron Zips -4.5

253 Northwestern State Demons +29.5
254 Nevada Wolf Pack -29.5

255 Stony Brook Seawolves +23.5
256 Syracuse Orange -23.5

257 Portland State Vikings +27
258 Washington Huskies -27

259 Cal Poly Mustangs +8
260 Wyoming Cowboys -8

261 UNC Central Eagles +37.5
262 Duke Blue Devils -37.5

263 Delaware State Hornets +45
264 Cincinnati Bearcats -45

265 Nicholls State Colonels +42
266 Tulsa Golden Hurricane -42

267 South Carolina State Bulldogs +34.5
268 Arizona Wildcats -34.5

269 North Dakota Fighting Sioux +18.5
270 San Diego State Aztecs -18.5

271 Lamar Cardinals +34
272 Hawaii Warriors -34

Last year in the SEC West, there was a point that the Arkansas Razorbacks, Alabama Crimson Tide, and LSU Tigers were ranked Nos. 1, 2, and 3 in the nation. This year though, matters are basically going to start over for these three teams, as they try to work their hardest to get back in the chase for the BCS bowl games and the National Championship Game. Alabama and Arkansas don’t quite have the same type of returning year though, as the Tide had a great offseason chock full of more recruits and high expectations, while Arkansas had to go through the dismissal of its head coach and a totally new scheme to put into place. This is going to be one of the top games in the SEC all season long, and especially since it is so early in the season, it is a game that we are going to watch on the college football betting odds as one of our Top 25 college football games of the year.

Alabama Crimson Tide vs. Arkansas Razorbacks Picks & Info
Alabama Crimson Tide vs. Arkansas Razorbacks Date: Saturday, September 15th
Alabama Crimson Tide vs. Arkansas Razorbacks Location: Razorback Stadium, Fayetteville, AR
Alabama vs. Arkansas Opening Point Spread: Alabama Crimson Tide -6
Alabama vs. Arkansas Current Point Spread: Alabama Crimson Tide -20

The Crimson Tide won the BCS National Championship last year, and this time around, they are going to be favored to do the exact same thing. There are only going to be 12 returning starters from last year’s title team, but at Alabama, the Tide don’t rebuild; they reload. And that’s exactly what we have seen so far this year. The talk of the town in Tuscaloosa is that this is the best offensive line in the country. Barrett Jones and Chance Warmack are anchoring what should be an awesome line to block for QB AJ McCarron and a loaded running back stable. We think that this is a team that has the potential to put up a ton of points like it did last year, and at least at this point in the season, that has proven to be the case. Defensively, the Crimson Tide are always amongst the best team in the land, and this is no exception even though there are only five starters back in the fold. This early in the year though, it should be a bit of a task to ask some of these freshmen and sophomores to come on the road for the first time in what should still be a hostile environment.

Alabama Crimson Tide vs. Arkansas Razorbacks Past Games (Since 1995)
2011: Alabama 38 – Arkansas 14
2010: Alabama 24 – Arkansas 20
2009: Alabama 35 – Arkansas 7
2008: Alabama 49 – Arkansas 14
2007: Alabama 41 – Arkansas 38
2006: Arkansas 24 – Alabama 23
2005: Alabama 24 – Arkansas 13
2004: Arkansas 27 – Alabama 10
2003: Arkansas 34 – Alabama 31
2002: Alabama 30 – Arkansas 12
2001: Alabama 31 – Arkansas 10
2000: Arkansas 28 – Alabama 21
1999: Alabama 35 – Arkansas 28
1998: Arkansas 42 – Alabama 6
1997: Arkansas 17 – Alabama 16
1996: Alabama 17 – Arkansas 7

Head Coach Bobby Petrino is out of the loop after some major off the field issues, but the cupboard isn’t nearly bare for the new coach, John L. Smith. There are only seven starters that are back on offense, but the losses of the likes of WR Joe Adams, WR Greg Childs, WR Jarius Wright, and RB Broderick Green won’t hurt the team all that much. QB Tyler Wilson is a senior quarterback now, and the fact that he is going to be out of the fold injured is why this point spread has jumped up by two touchdowns. The offensive line only has three returners, and that could really be exploited against the terrorizing Alabama defense. The defense will be challenged as well, though at least the secondary has three starters that are back. Watch out for LB Alonzo Highsmith, who could be the centerpiece of this lineup, though he could find it tough to get into the Alabama backfield as he did last year against the majority of the SEC. The defense is going to have to keep the Hogs in this game from start to finish, because if the offense’s play last week against Louisiana Monroe was any indication, it is going to be a long, long game for them against Bama.

Alabama @ Arkansas Free Picks (as of August 2012)^^: We know that this could be a tough test for the Crimson Tide early in the year, but we just don’t see how the Razorbacks, with so many changes going on this year, are going to be able to beat the big boys from the SEC West. Arkansas might live to tell about this in the end, but we just don’t think that Wilson is going to be able to get the job done, even at home. Alabama should be able to punish the Arkansas offense, and that could send the end result of this one into a romp for the guests.

Update 9/14/12: Obviously, matters changed in this game when Wilson was knocked out for the biggest game of the year. The Crimson Tide really have looked great and are the top ranked team in the nation. Arkansas will be hard pressed to figure out how to stop this offense, and it will surely have a tough time scoring points. The crowd is literally going to have to be the 12th man on the field for the whole game if Arkansas has a fighting chance.

^^Please Note: The Alabama @ Arkansas picks listed above on our sports betting blog are made by our staff writers. These football picks are based upon the betting lines listed in August 2012 and do not reflect the actual expert handicapping picks at Bankroll Sports. Click Here to receive our premium expert handicappers NCAA Football Picks for the 2012 campaign.

You can purchase our premium Alabama vs. Arkansas picks from our experts on Saturday, 9/15