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Big 12 Notes – Houston Week
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September 10th
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Experts divided on CU/Houston v. spread
From CBS Sports … Data points are essential when picking sides in a college football game and the more numbers you can gather, the better. Heading into Week 3, our notebooks are starting to fill with trends for specific teams that may assist in beating the books.
Lines will tighten as the season wears on with title contenders separating from the rest of the pack. Saturday’s predictions docket includes sides and picks for Georgia vs. Tennessee, Texas A&M vs. Notre Dame and Florida vs. LSU, three games with postseason implications for all involved parties.
There are a few off-the-radar games nationally that are worth keeping a close eye on, including Colorado’s Big 12 opener with Houston.
Hummer (Colorado +4.5): Houston’s defense is playing at an elite level early this year, which will be interesting against a Colorado offense that will be fronted by new starter Ryan Staub. I don’t like picking against Houston at home in this situation. That defense is something that can be depended on. But I do think the Buffaloes are a value with that 4.5-point line in a game of teams that are very even talent wise. … Houston 27, Colorado 24.
Crawford (Houston -4.5): Staub shined in last week’s win over Delaware and provided Colorado’s staff with a data point to take into consideration. It’s clear Julian Lewis is limited as a freshman based on the play-calling and Kaidon Salter’s job could slip away if Staub has another top-end performance. All this to say I like Willie Fritz and the Cougars at home to cover and improve to 3-0 on the season. … Houston 24, Colorado 17.
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September 7th
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And then there were three: ASU’s loss to SEC bottom feeder leaves three Big 12 teams in new AP poll
From CBS Sports … Two coaches facing pressure this season saw opposite results in Week 2 of the college football season, and their teams moved in opposite directions in the Week 3 AP Top 25 poll. Brent Venables led Oklahoma to one of the biggest wins of his tenure with a defensive masterclass against Michigan, but elsewhere in the SEC, Billy Napier is back under the microscope after Florida’s unforeseen failure against USF.
The Sooners (No. 13) jumped ahead of the Wolverines (No. 23) in the rankings with their head-to-head result and in turn shook up the pecking order in the hunt for a College Football Playoff berth. The Gators slipped all the way out of the top 25 while the undefeated Bulls made their 2025 rankings debut at No. 18. USF now has the inside track to the Group of Six’s automatic CFP berth.
Those were not the only key results of Week 2, though, even on a slate that lacked ranked matchups. Clemson fell out of favor with some voters after falling behind early to Troy and needing a comeback to notch an uninspiring 27-16 win. The Tigers are down four spots to No. 12 following the close call. In contrast, Iowa State moved in the upwards direction on the heels of a rivalry win over Iowa. The Cyclones are up two spots to No. 14 with the Cy-Hawk Trophy in hand.
Iowa State rose, but it was not a great week for the Big 12. Once the darling of the conference, Arizona State suddenly must play catch-up in the playoff hunt. The Sun Devils tumbled out of the poll after falling victim to Mississippi State and its cowbells in another one of Week 2’s most surprising results.
Week 3 AP Top 25 poll
1. Ohio State (57)
2. Penn State (5)
3. LSU (2)
4. Oregon (1)
5. Miami
6. Georgia
7. Texas
8. Notre Dame
9. Illinois
10. Florida State
11. South Carolina
12. Clemson
13. Oklahoma
14. Iowa State
15. Tennessee
16. Texas A&M
17. Ole Miss
18. USF
19. Alabama
20. Utah
21. Texas Tech
22. Indiana
23. Michigan
24. Auburn
25. Missouri
Others receiving votes: Arizona State (94), BYU (92), Georgia Tech (78), Florida (70), USC (64), TCU (58), Mississippi State (52), Louisville (49), SMU (26), Nebraska (10), Tulane (9), Baylor (7), UNLV (5), Pittsburgh (3), Navy (2), Memphis (1), Vanderbilt (1)
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Big 12 lines: Buffs open as a 4.5-point road underdog to Houston
From DraftKings.com …
Friday, September 12th
- Colorado at Houston … 5:30 p.m., MT, ESPN … Houston is a 4.5-point home favorite …
- Kansas State at Arizona … 7:00 p.m., MT, Fox … Arizona is a 1.5-point home underdog …
Saturday, September 13th
- Samford at Baylor … 10:00 a.m., MT, ESPN+ … no line
- Oregon State at Texas Tech … 1:30 p.m., MT, Fox … Texas Tech is a 24.5-point home favorite …
- Pittsburgh at West Virginia … 1:30 p.m., MT, ESPN … West Virginia is a 2.0-point home underdog …
- Northwestern State at Cincinnati … 1:30 p.m., MT, ESPN+ … no line
- Iowa State at Arkansas State … 2:00 p.m., MT, ESPN2 … Iowa State is a 21.5-point road favorite …
- Utah at Wyoming … 6:00 p.m., MT, CBSSN … Utah is a 22.5-point road favorite …
- Abilene Christian at TCU … 6:00 p.m., MT, ESPN+ … no line
- Texas State at Arizona State … 8:30 p.m., MT, TNT … Arizona State is a 14.5-point home favorite …
- Idle … Arizona … BYU … Iowa State … Kansas …
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