Week 3 of the 2014 college football season is upon us. Here are some of the marquee matchups and the lines for the upcoming weekend of action, courtesy of JustBet Sportsbook. All NCAA football bettors and sports fans will get their fill of quality action this weekend as there are quite a few interesting matchups on tap.

Thursday, September 11th

Houston at #25 BYU (-18.5, 58) 9:00 PM EST ESPN

BYU has certainly impressed thus far, and fresh off a second straight thumping of Texas will look to go 3-0 when they host the Houston Cougars out of the AAC. Houston got in the win column last week with a 47-0 win over Grambling St.

Friday, September 12th

#8 Baylor (-34, 67.5) at Buffalo 8:00 PM EST ESPN

The #8 Baylor Bears have been installed as 34 point favorites against Buffalo out of the MAC. It was made official that Bryce Petty will play, yet last week it didn’t matter as they rolled to a 70-6 victory over Northwestern St with backup Seth Russell. Buffalo is coming off a 47-38 loss to Army last weekend.

Saturday, September 13

West Virginia at Maryland (-3.5, 57) 12:00 PM EST Big Ten Network

West Virginia and Maryland meet up in a somewhat intense rivalry on Saturday. Randy Edsall has given the Mountaineers trouble in years past, yet this year’s WVU squad is talented, and could only add to the Big Ten’s recent struggles.

East Carolina at #17 Virginia Tech (-11.5, 53.5) 12:00 PM EST ESPN

The Virginia Tech Hokies, fresh off their upset of Ohio State, will look to go 3-0 against the talented East Carolina Pirates. East Carolina may have lost last week, but were competitive against South Carolina. Virginia Tech should be on upset alert as East Carolina can most certainly put some points on the board.

UCF at #20 Missouri (-10, 54.5) 12:00 PM EST SEC Network

Central Florida Knights have had some time to think about their loss to Penn State, and will now take on the Missouri Tigers. Missouri was not looked at to do much this year, but they have taken care of business at 2-0 behind quarterback Maty Mauck.

#21 Louisville (-6.5, 48.5) at Virginia 12:30 PM EST ESPN3

Virginia might be the surprise of the ACC this year, and their defense will look to give Louisville an unfriendly welcome into the conference. Bobby Petrino is off to a good start in Louisville, as they beat Miami in week 1, and thumped Murray State 66-21 last weekend.

#6 Georgia (-5.5, 60) at #24 South Carolina 3:30 PM EST CBS

Georgia is a team that has a lot of people talking as one of the top teams in the country led by Heisman candidate Todd Gurley. The Bulldogs will travel to Columbia to take on the 1-1 South Carolina Gamecocks, who had high expectations before they lost their home opener to Texas A&M.

Tennessee at #4 Oklahoma (-20.5, 54.5) 8:00 PM EST ABC

Oklahoma has rolled over the competition thus far, and they will get to show the nation how good they are when they host Tennessee on Saturday night. QB Trevor Knight leads an offense that averages 50 ppg against a Tennessee defense that has yielded only 13 ppg.

#12 UCLA (-7, 49.5) vs. Texas 8:00 PM EST FOX from AT&T Stadium, Arlington, TX

It’s no secret that Texas is struggling, and now there is news that quarterback David Ash is out for indefinitely. They’ll have their work cut out for them when they take on the UCLA Bruins, who are loaded with talent, yet have failed to impress thus far in the season.

The X’s and O’s of the Alamo Bowl predictions aren’t shared by many expert handicappers, but here at Bankroll Sports, we are giving up all of our insight and telling you all of the keys to the game for the Texas Longhorns vs. Oregon State Beavers. The Alamo Bowl picks are some of the hardest to make this year of all of the bowl games, so don’t miss out on all of our Texas vs. Oregon State predictions!

2012 Alamo Bowl: Texas Longhorns vs. Oregon State Beavers
2012 Alamo Bowl Location: Alamodome, San Antonio, TX
2012 Alamo Bowl Date/Time: Saturday, December 29th, 6:45 p.m. (ET)
2012 Alamo Bowl On TV: ESPN, Watch ESPN

Click Here For The Rest Of The 2012-13 Bowl Game Schedule And Other Bowl Game Previews

Key #1: Both coaches had better be right with their quarterback choices
What a tough decision that both Head Coach Mike Riley and Head Coach Mack Brown had to make here at the Alamo Bowl! Brown’s choice for his starting quarterback became easy when QB Case McCoy got himself suspended on the eve of the game for violating team rules, so that really only leaves QB David Ash to carry the load under center. However, Riley made the interesting choice by giving the ball over to QB Cody Vaz instead of QB Sean Mannion, a move that really could come back to hurt the team when push comes to shove. Mannion did a fantastic job of leading this club at the outset of the year, but the move was made to Vaz instead. Oregon State did lose three of its last five games in the Pac-12 portion of the schedule, but in the end, Vaz had the significantly better numbers, especially in the interception category. Depending upon which coach made the right decision, the Alamo Bowl odds might be beaten just based upon the coaching staff and the moves that they have each made leading up to this game.

Alamo Bowl Odds at BetRevolution Sportsbook
Texas Longhorns +3.5
Oregon State Beavers -3.5
Over/Under 57.5
Click Here to Bet Your Alamo Bowl Picks!

Key #2: The Longhorns need to find a way to slow down these great OSU receivers
It hasn’t mattered one bit who the quarterback is for the Beavers from the standpoint of WR Markus Wheaton and WR Brandin Cooks. These two men have both been fantastic this year, and they are one of the few tandems in college football that each made it to 1,000+ yards on the campaign. Wheaton was more of the possession receiver, accounting for 87 grabs, 1,198 yards, and 11 scores, while Cooks was the big play man, catching 65 passes for 1,129 yards and five TDs. The two also combined to carry the ball 34 times for 183 yards and two TDs to boot, so the Beavs will do everything that they can to make sure that their top receivers get the football. This has been problematic for Texas at times in the past. WR Eric Ward and WR Darrin Moore combined for 15 catches and 234 yards when the Horns played against the Texas Tech Red Raiders. WR Terrance Williams and WR Lanear Simpson had 16 catches, 253 yards, and two TDs for the Baylor Bears. WR Tavon Austin and WR Stedman Bailey put together 18 receptions, 177 yards, and four scores against the West Virginia Mountaineers. It’s a problem that has plagued this team all year long, and it has to not carry over to the Alamo Bowl for Texas to win this game.

Key #3: Oregon State needs to capitalize on Texas turnovers
The Longhorns haven’t done a ton right this year by their own standards, but at least they hung onto the football and didn’t turn it over all that much. They only coughed it up a total of 13 times on the campaign, and the just over once per game wasn’t the reason that the team was beaten four times. The bad news though, is that Oregon State does have one of the more opportunistic defenses in the country, forcing 30 turnovers on the year, including picking off 19 passes. Senior DB Jordan Poyer is an electrifying kick returner, and he also led the team with seven INTs on the season, so he has the potential to make a real impact on the game. The more than Poyer gets his hands on the ball, the worse shape that Texas is going to ultimately be in.

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Big XII football always has and always will revolve around the state of Texas. The biggest school in the biggest state in football is the Texas Longhorns, regardless of how good they are or aren’t. It is going to be very interesting to see how the West Virginia Mountaineers do in their very first trip to Austin, a trip that is going to very potentially make or break the season for either of these teams. Both squads have upper echelon talent, and both have gotten through the first month and change of the season with great records intact. Join us for our Texas vs. West Virginia picks for the very first game in this newly born rivalry.

West Virginia Mountaineers @ Texas Longhorns Picks & Info
West Virginia Mountaineers @ Texas Longhorns Date: Saturday, October 6th
West Virginia Mountaineers @ Texas Longhorns Location: Royal Texas Stadium, Austin, TX
West Virginia Mountaineers @ Texas Longhorns Spread: Texas Longhorns -7

There is no doubt that what makes the West Virginia offense move is its passing attack. The team really has a knack for getting up and down the field this way, and why not? QB Geno Smith is clearly one of the top quarterbacks in the country and a legitimate pro prospect, while WRs Stedman Bailey and Tavon Austin might both also be future NFLers. Ivan McCartney is the underappreciated receiver of the bunch, and the work of RB Dustin Garrison will likely end up going overlooked as well. Defensively, Head Coach Dana Holgorsen knows that he has his work cut out for him. His 3-3-5 unit does return seven starters, but there is going to be a real question as to how the ‘Neers are going to be able to contend with the Texas running game with just three returning starters up front.

Thus far this year, Smith has had himself a heck of a year, and he is coming off of one of the best passing games that a quarterback has ever had in college football, throwing for over 600 yards and eight TDs against the Baylor Bears. The defense though, is predictably not all that great, knowing that this unit just allowed 63 last week as well.

West Virginia Mountaineers vs. Texas Longhorns Past Games (Since 1995)
None

This is going to be a great make or break type of a game for the Longhorns. They clearly haven’t hit the hardest part of their schedule, and losing this one clearly will separate the idea of a BCS type of a team and one that is going to be mired in the middle of the field with seven or eight wins that can only hope for a bid in the Alamo Bowl (or one of the sorts). The defense will have its work cut out for it going against Smith and the gang, but the offense might finally really have a chance to shine against a sometimes very weak unit. QB David Ash have had a few confidence boosting games in front of him to start off the campaign, and he has numbers that stack up against most of the Big XII quarterbacks right now. The good news is that this defense isn’t going to be all that good that he sees on the other side of the ball, but the bad news is that he is going to have to score a ton of points to get the win. Watch out for RBs Malcolm Brown, Joe Bergeron, and DJ Monroe to try to control the clock by keeping the ball on the ground, which could make for some room for Ash to get the ball up the field as he has done over the course of the first few games of the campaign.

West Virginia @ Texas Free Picks^^: We really want the points on our side in this game. West Virginia is a team that is built just like your average Big XII team, and in fact, it almost might have seemed displaced in the Big East in the past. Texas is starting to creep back towards the somewhat dominating team that it had over the course of the middle and end of last decade, but there is still quite some ways to go. Will the Longhorns get there? Sure they will… eventually. This probably isn’t the time for them to be laying 6.5 in a game like this one quite yet, though.

^^Notice: The NCAA football picks & predictions listed on the sports betting blog are made by our staff writers early in the season and do not represent the Bankroll Sports expert handicapping team’s actual premium service releases. Click Here to receive our expert handicappers premium college football picks for the 2012 football season.

You can purchase our premium West Virginia vs. Texas picks from our experts on 10/6/12

There was a time that the Red River Rivalry between the Oklahoma Sooners and the Texas Longhorns was one of the most important games of the year. It often determined which team would end up playing in the Big XII Championship Game, and it also usually knocked one of the two teams out of the National Championship picture. Both squads are hoping for a renaissance this year, but once again, it is going to take going through the other to be able to do it. Join us for our Red River Rivalry game preview and picks, as we highlight what should once again be a fantastic Big XII battle.

Texas Longhorns vs. Oklahoma Sooners Picks & Info
Texas Longhorns vs. Oklahoma Sooners Date: Saturday, October 13th
Texas Longhorns vs. Oklahoma Sooners Location: Cotton Bowl Stadium, Dallas, TX
Texas Longhorns vs. Oklahoma Sooners Spread: Oklahoma Sooners -7

Texas knows that it has to get some better play out of its quarterback position this year if it hopes to win the Red River Shootout. QB David Ash and QB Case McCoy are both trying to become the starter for the Horns this year, though it does feel like Ash has the edge having taken every snap of the Holiday Bowl at the end of last campaign. The rest of this team really feels like a Top 10 team in the country this year. The offensive line returners three starters, and the receivers and running backs are still quite deep. The defense is going to be all over the place as well, as even though former DC Will Muschamp has left for Gainesville, there are still a heck of a lot of holdovers that still have that mean streak and really command a lot of attention.

Texas Longhorns vs. Oklahoma Sooners Past Games (Since 1995)
2011: Oklahoma 55 – Texas 17
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

Oklahoma could be up for a big time season, knowing that QB Landry Jones is back for his senior season. The offensive line in front of him is going to be awesome as always, and the running back corps should still be solid. Defensively, Head Coach Bob Stoops has had some issues in recent years, but he is hoping that his eight returning starters are able to step up to the challenge and get the job done. The secondary has really been under scrutiny. DB Demontre Hurst is the senior leader of the group, and he is going to be challenged in this game specifically against a great set of Texas wide receivers. In the end though, against a sometimes suspect Texas offense, the OU offense could get the job done by itself as long as Jones ends up not falling on his face.

Texas vs. Oklahoma Free Picks^^: The Sooners have had a strong run of games against the Longhorns in recent years, and we just don’t see how that’s going to be stopping in this one. Oklahoma and Texas are both improved teams, but in the end, it is OU that has the ability to win the National Championship, and this isn’t going to be the game that trips the men in crimson and cream up.

^^Note: These college football picks are independent of the picks of our Expert NCAA Football Handicappers. These NCAA football picks are made as of 8/12/12, though we will keep the college football matchup page updated for this clash on the week of the game.

When the Texas vs. Oklahoma odds are on the board on the week of 10/13, we will have our college football picks that you won’t want to miss!

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

In the state of Texas, football is a heck of a lot more than just a game, especially when two of the teams from in state are playing one another. A Big XII title could be on the line at the end of the season when the Texas A&M Aggies play host to the Texas Longhorns in what is clearly one of the best battles on the NCAA football odds of the season.

Texas Longhorns @ Texas A&M Aggies Picks & Info
Texas Longhorns @ Texas A&M Aggies Date: Thursday, November 24th, 2011
Texas Longhorns @ Texas A&M Aggies Location: Kyle Field, College Station, TX
Texas Longhorns @ Texas A&M Aggies Spread: Texas A&M Aggies -6

Texas was really a train wreck last season, finishing 5-7 and just 2-6 in conference play. Now, Head Coach Mack Brown also has to deal with the loss of his defensive coordinator, and his coach in waiting, Will Muschamp, who fled to the University of Florida in the offseason. This year though, the question is going to be whether QB Garrett Gilbert is going to be able to step up. He was an absolute disaster in 2010, throwing for just 2,744 yards and 10 TDs against 17 picks, numbers which just pale in comparison to those of his predecessors like Colt McCoy and Vince Young.

Texas Longhorns vs. Texas A&M Aggies Past Games (Since 1995)
2010: Texas A&M 24 – Texas 17
2009: Texas 49 – Texas A&M 39
2008: Texas 49 – Texas A&M 9
2007: Texas A&M 38 – Texas 30
2006: Texas A&M 12 – Texas 7
2005: Texas 40 – Texas A&M 29
2004: Texas 26 – Texas A&M 13
2003: Texas 46 – Texas A&M 15
2002: Texas 50 – Texas A&M 20
2001: Texas 21 – Texas A&M 7
2000: Texas 43 – Texas A&M 17
1999: Texas A&M 20 – Texas 16
1998: Texas 26 – Texas A&M 24
1997: Texas A&M 27 – Texas 16
1996: Texas 51 – Texas A&M 16
1995: Texas 16 – Texas A&M 6

For a change, the Aggies are really going to be the decided favorite in this game, something that they haven’t been in a number of years. And why not? Head Coach Mike Sherman saved his job last year by taking out his onetime Heisman Trophy contender, QB Jerrod Johnson and replacing him with QB Ryan Tannehill, who absolutely lit the world on fire. The Aggies have a great returning backfield and should have an offense that is tough to stop. The question is whether or not a defense which allowed 366 yards per game last season and had some absolutely brutal moments against teams like Oklahoma State and LSU can right the ship and keep A&M in the driver’s seat. This should be a game that Aggies fans are definitely looking forward to this season, as it could really be a romp. This might not be a bad number to invest in right now at -6.

Texas Longhorns @ Texas A&M Aggies @ 5Dimes Sportsbook (as of 7/17/11):
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Texas Longhorns (+6) @ Texas A&M Aggies

Two years ago when the Texas Longhorns last rode into Lubbock, the Texas Tech Red Raiders pulled off a great upset to put themselves into the BCS National Championship picture. Neither team was able to reach the illustrious title game, but this one was one of the best duels that college football betting fans have ever seen. Take a look at our college football picks for Saturday night’s props in the duel of these Lone Star State rivals!

Foswhitt Whittaker Over/Under 9.5 Rushing Attempts
This is a tough prop to gauge, but we tend to believe that we know what the answer is. Only HC Mack Brown really knows whether or not the fact that he is starting Whittaker in the backfield on Saturday night means that he is going to take extra carries. The Horns are determined to throw the football with QB Garrett Gilbert, but at some point, Brown and his staff might realize that giving Whittaker the rock isn’t a bad idea. And why not? The man has averaged 7.1 yards per carry this season and has the ability to bust huge holes in this Texas Tech defense. Our NCAA football prop picks suggest that Whittaker will go Over 9.5 carries (-115 at Hollywood Sportsbook) on Saturday night.

Taylor Potts Over/Under 310.5 Passing Yards
We never like betting against any quarterback in the Air Raid assault, but this Texas defense that the Red Raiders are going against is as stout as could be. Last year, T-Tech did throw for 420 yards, but that required a whopping 46 completions and 62 attempts to get done. With HC Tommy Tuberville at least spending a little bit extra time trying to get RB Baron Batch involved in the offense, we tend to believe that Potts is going to spend some more time worrying about handing the ball off and a little less time trying to figure out how to sling it all over the field. Especially if this game remains remotely close for a long period of time, we tend to think that the Horns are going to keep Potts Under 310.5 passing yards (-115 at Hollywood Sportsbook).

Lyle Leong Over/Under 82.5 Receiving Yards
Consider this Texas @ Texas Tech props pick a bit of a hedge against Potts’ passing and a possibility of cashing in twice. Leong is clearly the top target in this Texas Tech offense this year, as he already has 16 receptions and five scores on the year. Potts will be looking to force Leong the ball quite a bit, and it doesn’t seem to matter who is guarding him. He’ll get the football enough times to make it worthwhile. Last week’s five catches and 75 yards seemed to be more of a result of the fact that the Red Raiders were able to do whatever they wanted against the New Mexico Lobos. Leong caught six passes for 80 yards last year in this game, and we think he’ll do even better this year. Go with Leong Over 82.5 receiving yards (-115 at Hollywood Sportsbook).