Each and every season, the Big XII seems like it comes down to the Red River Shootout between the Texas Longhorns and the Oklahoma Sooners. Texas might have dropped just a tad over the course of the last year, but that isn’t going to take away the importance of this game, especially with the Sooners eyeing the National Championship this season.

Oklahoma Sooners @ Texas Longhorns Picks & Info
Oklahoma Sooners @ Texas Longhorns Date: Saturday, October 8th, 2011
Oklahoma Sooners @ Texas Longhorns Location: Cotton Bowl Stadium, Dallas, TX
Oklahoma Sooners @ Texas Longhorns Spread: Texas Longhorns +8

For the entire early part of the 2000s, the Sooners dominated this series against Texas, taking it behind the woodshed seemingly every year. That changed over the back end of the decade though, as OU dropped four out of five. Last year’s 28-20 win almost seems tainted for how bad the Longhorns really were. Now, things definitely appear to be back on the Sooners’ side once again. A potent passing attack led by QB Landry Jones and WR Ryan Broyles is going to be one of the best in the nation, and historically, quarterbacks for Sooners have a field day in this fixture. There are still questions about this defense, which ranked No. 53 in the nation last year at 362.5 yards per game. Still, we know that things are going to get better and better for this unit with a ton of returning starters, and by the time this game rolls around, this unit should be back in fine form once again.

Oklahoma Sooners @ Texas Longhorns Past Games (Since 1995)
2010: Oklahoma 28 – Texas 20
2009: Texas 16 – Oklahoma 13
2008: Texas 45 – Oklahoma 35
2007: Oklahoma 28 – Texas 21
2006: Texas 28 – Oklahoma 10
2005: Texas 45 – Oklahoma 12
2004: Oklahoma 12 – Texas 0
2003: Oklahoma 65 – Texas 13
2002: Oklahoma 35 – Texas 24
2001: Oklahoma 14 – Texas 3
2000: Oklahoma 63 – Texas 14
1999: Texas 38 – Oklahoma 28
1998: Texas 34 – Oklahoma 3
1997: Texas 27 – Oklahoma 24
1996: Oklahoma 30 – Texas 27

The Longhorns have their work cut out for them this year. Not only do they have to find some viable offensive options after a disastrous year without any real success from QB Garrett Gilbert, but they have to replace a number of key defensive players and Defensive Coordinator Will Muschamp. Texas is really in the danger zone right now with Head Coach Mack Brown, and another bad season might bring up some cause for concern in Austin about the future of the Longhorns’ leader. Texas has never had a history of putting up a slew of points in games in this series, and Gilbert and company could really have a hard time in this one if the Oklahoma defense improves this year as well.

Oklahoma Sooners @ Texas Longhorns Game Odds @ 5Dimes Sportsbook (as of 7/28/11):
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Oklahoma Sooners (-8) @ Texas Longhorns

The ACC Coastal Division is always one that is tightly contested, and this year should be no exception whatsoever. The Hokies are going to be one of the top teams in the land once again this year, but the Hurricanes, under first year coach Al Golden, are going to be looking to make an impression by taking them to their first conference championship game since joining the ACC.

Miami Hurricanes @ Virginia Tech Hokies Picks & Info
Miami Hurricanes @ Virginia Tech Hokies Date: Saturday, October 8th
Miami Hurricanes @ Virginia Tech Hokies Location: Layne Stadium, Blacksburg, VA
Miami Hurricanes @ Virginia Tech Hokies Spread: Virginia Tech Hokies -6

The Hurricanes are really under the gun in this one. QB Jacory Harris knows that he needs to really get his act in gear against a Virginia Tech team that has dominated him over the years. Harris threw for 1,793 yards and 14 TDs last season against 15 picks. However, there is a real question whether or not Stephen Morris will end up taking over. Harris has the experience, but Morris has the better skills in all likelihood even though his numbers were worse with 1,240 yards and seven scores in 2010. The cupboard isn’t totally dry in South Beach this year, but things definitely aren’t as good as they have been in the past. This trip to Layne Stadium is going to be tough, but the good news is that the team did go 4-2 SU and 3-3 ATS as visitors this year, so the upset in this one isn’t out of the question.

Miami Hurricanes vs. Virginia Tech Hokies Past Games (Since 1995)
2010: Virginia Tech 31 – Miami 17
2009: Virginia Tech 31 – Miami 7
2008: Miami 16 – Virginia Tech 14
2007: Virginia Tech 44 – Miami 14
2006: Virginia Tech 17 – Miami 10
2005: Miami 27 – Virginia Tech 7
2004: Virginia Tech 16 – Miami 10
2003: Virginia Tech 31 – Miami 7
2002: Miami 56 – Virginia Tech 45
2001: Miami 26 – Virginia Tech 24
2000: Miami 41 – Virginia Tech 21
1999: Virginia Tech 43 – Miami 10
1998: Virginia Tech 27 – Miami 20
1997: Virginia Tech 27 – Miami 25
1996: Virginia Tech 21 – Miami 7
1995: Virginia Tech 13 – Miami 7

As one could tell just by looking at the scores in this series, Head Coach Frank Beamer has consistently put together a defense that has been able to stuff up the Canes. This year should be no exception, as VT is coming off of a season in which it allowed just 20.6 points per game a season ago. Offensively, QB Tyrod Taylor has moved on, and over the last several seasons, there haven’t been many other players take snaps. Taylor threw 24 TDs against five picks, numbers which are going to be hard for QB Logan Thomas. Last season’s loss to the James Madison Dukes was the end of a disastrous stretch of games, but since that point, Beamer Ball has taken over again and the Hokies have been remarkable. The hope is that that keeps up to get them back into the ACC Championship Game once again.

Miami Hurricanes @ Virginia Tech Hokies Game Odds @ 5Dimes Sportsbook (as of 7/25/11):
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Miami Hurricanes (+6) @ Virginia Tech Hokies

The Broncos and Horned Frogs have had a history of playing against one another in the postseason, but they have never shared a conference before. This will be the only season in which they are in the Mountain West together, and the stakes may never be higher. Both of these squads have high hopes for a BCS campaign, but in all likelihood, only the winner of this game will have a shot of making it to the big time.

TCU Horned Frogs @ Boise State Broncos Picks & Info
TCU Horned Frogs @ Boise State Broncos Date: Saturday, November 12th
TCU Horned Frogs @ Boise State Broncos Location: Bronco Stadium, Boise, ID
TCU Horned Frogs @ Boise State Broncos Spread: Boise State Broncos -14.5

This could be a tougher year for Head Coach Gary Patterson and company due to the fact that he has to break in a new signal caller after watching QB Andy Dalton move on to the NFL as the winningest quarterback in TCU history. The defense, which allowed just a dozen points per game, including really sticking toe to toe with the Wisconsin Badgers in the Rose Bowl last season. This will be a remarkable test for the Horned Frogs defense, and they are going to be up against it versus a Boise State offense that has a habit of dropping just a slew of points on opponents, especially on the Smurf Turf.

TCU Horned Frogs vs. Boise State Broncos Past Games (Since 1995)
2010: Boise State 17 – TCU 10
2008: TCU 17 – Boise State 16
2003: Boise State 34 – TCU 31

The Broncos though, are returning their most important pieces of the puzzle for another run at the BCS this year. They were left out in the cold after a solid season after losing to the Nevada Wolf Pack on the road in the de facto WAC Championship Game, and the end result saw the university lose millions of dollars. Now, Boise moves to the MWC, where it had hoped to build a mega-conference with TCU and Utah. Little did it know that this was going to be the only season in which the Broncos were going to have that sort of “mega conference” feel. This is definitely going to be the make or break game for QB Kellen Moore in his Heisman Trophy campaign this year, because a loss in this game, even he throws for 500 yards against a remarkable defense, will take away both the team’s BCS hopes and crush his Heisman hopes as well.

TCU Horned Frogs @ Boise State Broncos Game Odds @ 5Dimes Sportsbook (as of 7/24/11):
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TCU Horned Frogs (+11.5) @ Boise State Broncos

The SEC East really started to take a turn last season when the mighty Florida Gators finally fell from the top of the division down to the rest of the pack, and the up and coming South Carolina Gamecocks finally had their day. These two will meet for the second straight season in what could possibly be considered the SEC East Championship Game.

Florida Gators @ South Carolina Gamecocks Picks & Info
Florida Gators @ South Carolina Gamecocks Date: Saturday, November 12th, 2011
Florida Gators @ South Carolina Gamecocks Location: Williams-Brice Stadium, Columbia, SC
Florida Gators @ South Carolina Gamecocks Spread: South Carolina Gamecocks -6.5

The Gators were really shell shocked last season when they were beaten at home by the Cocks with the SEC East crown on the line. This is going to be an incredibly important game for Head Coach Will Muschamp as he tries to restore order in Gainesville for the blue and orange. QB John Brantley had a terrible game when these two met last November, accounting for just 130 yards on 16-of-31 passing with an INT and no scores. In fact, things got so bad that Head Coach Urban Meyer decided to use plenty of Jordan Reed and Trey Burton under center. Needless to say, there is definitely a lot of sour taste in the mouths of the Gators right now that needs to be washed out.

Florida Gators @ South Carolina Gamecocks Past Games (Since 1995)
2010: South Carolina 36 – Florida 14
2009: Florida 24 – South Carolina 14
2008: Florida 56 – South Carolina 6
2007: Florida 51 – South Carolina 31
2006: Florida 17 – South Carolina 16
2005: South Carolina 30 – Florida 22
2004: Florida 48 – South Carolina 14
2003: Florida 24 – South Carolina 22
2002: Florida 28 – South Carolina 7
2001: Florida 54 – South Carolina 17
2000: Florida 41 – South Carolina 21
1999: Florida 20 – South Carolina 3
1998: Florida 33 – South Carolina 14
1997: Florida 48 – South Carolina 21
1996: Florida 52 – South Carolina 25

Head Coach Steve Spurrier did his share of beating the snot out of the Gamecocks when he was coaching Florida, but for the first time since leaving Gainesville, he was able to win a game at Florida Field against the team that he guided to national prominence. It was also the first time that the Gamecocks had ever won the SEC East, and just the second time that they had beaten the Gators since the SEC starting having a championship game. QB Stephen Garcia really needs this one though, because he was brought here to Columbia to beat the Gators and put the Gamecocks on the map. He’s still just 1-2 in his three seasons against Florida though, including getting beaten pretty badly in 2009 in Columbia. It almost seems odd that SC is the favored side in this one, but it is pretty clear, especially after watching RB Marcus Lattimore account for well over 200 total yards on the ground last season in Gainesville, that the Gamecocks do have the better of these two teams. It’s only a matter if they can exorcize the demons of history and take care of the Gators for a second straight season.

Florida Gators @ South Carolina Gamecocks Game Odds @ 5Dimes Sportsbook (as of 7/20/11):
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Florida Gators (+6.5) @ South Carolina Gamecocks

Breaking down the new Pac-12 football odds are going to be tough this year, but even though both Colorado and Utah are going to be high flyers in this newly formed super conference, we know that the USC Trojans are the cream of the crop for the most part. SC will have its work cut out for it though when it takes on the Stanford Cardinal, a team with a legit chance of winning the National Championship.

Stanford Cardinal @ USC Trojans Picks & Info
Stanford Cardinal @ USC Trojans Date: Saturday, October 29th
Stanford Cardinal @ USC Trojans Location: Los Angeles Coliseum, Los Angeles, CA
Stanford Cardinal @ USC Trojans Spread: USC Trojans +2

This is one of the two biggest games of the year for the Cardinal (the other being the game against Oregon). The truth of the matter is that this game probably won’t have many implications in terms of who is winning the Pac-12 to Stanford, because a loss to the Ducks probably kills any chance of going to the Rose Bowl unless the U of O is once again in the National Championship Game. However, this is a game where QB Andrew Luck can continue to prove once again that he is the truly elite passer in the nation. The redshirt junior threw for 3,338 yards last season and accounted for 35 total TDs against just eight picks. He could have a tough time against the USC defense, but in all likelihood, the man that probably would have been the top pick in the NFL Draft this past year could be in for another field day.

Stanford Cardinal vs. USC Trojans Past Games (Since 1995)
2010: Stanford 37 – USC 35
2009: Stanford 55 – USC 21
2008: USC 45 – Stanford 23
2007: Stanford 24 – USC 23
2006: USC 42 – Stanford 0
2005: USC 51 – Stanford 21
2004: USC 31 – Stanford 28
2003: USC 44 – Stanford 21
2002: USC 49 – Stanford 17
2001: Stanford 21 – USC 16
2000: Stanford 32 -USC 30
1999: Stanford 35 – USC 31
1998: USC 34 – Stanford 9
1997: USC 45 – Stanford 21
1996: Stanford 24 – USC 20

This is one of those games where the Men of Troy can man up and come up big even though there is no hope of going to the Rose Bowl or winning the Pac-12 due to their probation from the Reggie Bush incident. USC still has a ton of talent offensively, and many forget just how good QB Matt Barkley really was a season ago. Also a junior like Luck, Barkley is trying to prove that he is a worthy first round NFL Draft choice next season. He threw for 390 yards and three scores against Stanford down on the farm last season, and accounted for 2,791 yards and 26 scores on the campaign. There’s going to be a question about the Trojans’ rushing game and their defense, neither of which played well in this fixture last year, and if that doesn’t improve, it could be the third straight season in which the Cardinal came into LA and stunned the Trojan faithful.

Stanford Cardinal @ USC Trojans @ 5Dimes Sportsbook (as of 7/22/11):
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Stanford Cardinal (-2) @ USC Trojans

There is definitely going to be a ton of offense this year in Conference USA, as there are some ridiculously high flying teams that could average well over 35 points per game if given the chance. The team that might be in for the biggest year is the favorite to win Conference USA, the Houston Cougars (Current Conference USA Odds: 2.45 to 1 at 5Dimes Sportsbook). Last year turned out to be a disaster for the Cougs, as they lost QB Case Keenum for the season just two games in, and things just never really got on track. Keenum was granted a medical redshirt and will likely end up breaking all sorts of NCAA passing records this year, but Houston will only go as far as its defense is going to take it, and this unit really, really struggled all season in 2010.

The defending champs of Conference USA should once again be fantastic this year. The UCF Knights (2011 Conference USA Lines: 4.20 to 1 at 5Dimes Sportsbook) really have picked up a ton of momentum over these last few seasons, and thanks to the play of QB Jeff Godfrey, many in the Sunshine State are wondering where the men in black and gold really fall in the pecking order of teams in the state. A win in the Liberty Bowl last year was incredibly impressive, and there is no doubt that there is some major defensive talent on the field for the Knights. The question is whether Head Coach George O’Leary can withstand the heat that he is taking from the university’s loss of a lawsuit against the family of the deceased Ereck Plancher. If he can and UCF can keep its level of play up without distractions, these are fantastic NCAA football odds.

That is to say, if the Knights can get past their road test with the Southern Mississippi Golden Eagles (Current Conference USA Odds: 3.25 to 1 at 5Dimes Sportsbook). Last season, UCF almost ended up losing Conference USA due to the fact that it was beaten by a very strong Southern Miss side that has a slew of returners this season. Head Coach Larry Fedora thinks that he doesn’t just have a contender in Conference USA, but that he has the potential to crack the Top 25 and maybe even the BCS when it’s all said and done. We’re not ones to argue with him, especially since Houston is dodged on the schedule.

2011 Odds To Win The Conference USA @ 5Dimes Sportsbook (as of 7/21/11):
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Houston Cougars 2.45 to 1
Southern Mississippi Golden Eagles 3.25 to 1
Central Florida Knights 4.20 to 1
SMU Mustangs 8 to 1
Tulsa Golden Hurricane 8 to 1
UAB Blazers 16.50 to 1
East Carolina Pirates 20 to 1
Rice Owls 25 to 1
Marshall Thundering Herd 30 to 1
Tulane Green Wave 52 to 1
Memphis Tigers 70 to 1
UTEP Miners 70 to 1

2011 Odds To Win The Conference USA East Division @ 5Dimes Sportsbook (as of 7/21/11):
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Southern Mississippi Golden Eagles 1.40 to 1
UCF Knights 1.90 to 1
UAB Blazers 6.60 to 1
East Carolina Pirates 7.75 to 1
Marshall Thundering Herd 12 to 1
Memphis Tigers 27 to 1

2011 Odds To Win The Conference USA West Division @ 5Dimes Sportsbook (as of 7/20/11):
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Houston Cougars 1 to 1
Tulsa Golden Hurricane 3.50 to 1
SMU Mustangs 3.65 to 1
Rice Owls 11 to 1
Tulane Green Wave 20 to 1
UTEP Miners 27 to 1

The Mountaineers and the Tigers make for strange bedmates with one another. We tend to find it odd that a team with so many tough games like LSU is going to add another insanely difficult trip to Morgantown, but we know that West Virginia and the rest of the Big East badly need to secure some out of conference victories like this one to prove that they are a conference that is worthy of a spot in the BCS every year.

LSU Tigers @ West Virginia Mountaineers Picks & Info
LSU Tigers @ West Virginia Mountaineers Date: Saturday, September 24th, 2011
LSU Tigers @ West Virginia Mountaineers Location: Mountaineer Field, Morgantown, WV
LSU Tigers @ West Virginia Mountaineers Spread: West Virginia Mountaineers +3

If there was ever a game on this schedule that the LSU defense really needed to excel, this would be the game. The Bayou Bengals know that this early in the season, it’s going to be hard for QB Jordon Jefferson and company to really have things together, and we know that going against this West Virginia defense is going to make the challenge even more difficult, especially on the road. Last season, the offense only accounted for 236 yards for the Tigers, and seven of their 20 points came via a 60 yard punt return for a TD by the departed Patrick Peterson.

LSU Tigers vs. West Virginia Mountaineers Past Games (Since 1995)
2010: LSU 20 – West Virginia 14

If QB Geno Smith and company don’t figure out how to get more than 178 yards of offense, this could be an ugly, ugly game in Morgantown. The ‘Neers were just awful last season against LSU on the road, going just 2-of-13 on 3rd downs. The good news is that the offense really should be better with Smith out there for a second season, and we know that the defense, as always, should be tough. Remember that this was a unit that did hold LSU to those aforementioned 236 yards, and if it wasn’t for a breakdown on special teams, perhaps the Mountaineers would have been able to pull off the upset to keep LSU out of any discussions for a National Championship. If West Virginia doesn’t win this game, the best that it is going to be able to do this year is go to the Orange Bowl as the winners of the Big East. This is the chance to make the big time statement.

LSU Tigers @ West Virginia Mountaineers @ 5Dimes Sportsbook (as of 7/21/11):
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LSU Tigers (-3) @ West Virginia Mountaineers