Most Important Games Of Week 3

     I started to write this piece again last week, but it was a fairly down week in college football. This week is a little better with some big match ups that I'm sure many of you will be watching or at least keeping your eye on the score. So if your team is blowing out it's opponent and you need something else to watch/root for, or if you just crave more football in general, then I am going to give you a list of games with importance to the SEC as a conference.

     Again this list is meant to have more of a big picture feel to it early in the season. This is intended to give fans a rooting interest in games that don't always involve SEC teams, but can indirectly impact the SEC's strength of schedule reputation and therefore impact playoff seeding. We are rooting for the SEC to get multiple teams in the playoff with as high a seed as possible. Having said that, let's start the list. Here are the Top 8 games for week 3.


#8. All SEC vs Non-Conference Opponents
     These games are pretty obvious why they are important; the more times SEC teams beat non-conference opponents the better the SEC looks as a conference. UCF @ Mizzou, UMass @ Vandy, Arkansas @ Texas Tech*, UL-Lafayette @ Ole Miss, Miss St @ South Alabama**, Southern Miss @ Alabama, UL Monroe @ LSU, Tennessee @ Oklahoma*, Rice @ aTm. These are 9 games throughout Saturday that are important to the SEC's reputation. Some more so than others.

*These are the biggest of games in this group. I'll mention them again later.
**I don't care who you are, it says something to go on the road and beat a team on their field.

#7. Ohio @ Marshall
     Marshall is a team that was talked about pre-season as potentially going undefeated this year. They probably will. Normally I wouldn't have a problem with this. But the less the media (ESPN) talks about giving the little guy that happened to go undefeated a chance at the playoff, the more they can talk about giving multiple spots to the SEC. So Go Bobcats! Kickoff is 12:00 pm ET on CBS Sports Network.

#6. Boise St. @ UConn
     Ole Miss beat Boise St. the first weekend of the season. Therefore, the better Boise St. looks, the better Ole Miss looks. At least on paper. Kickoff is 12:00 pm ET on ABC/ESPN2.

#5. Wake Forest @ Utah St.
     Tennessee beat Utah St. the first weekend of the season, so see #6 for one reason this game is important. Add on top of that, a MWC team beating an ACC team can only help to drag down the ACC as a conference helping to give some room between the SEC and ACC. Kickoff is 7:00 pm ET on CBS Sports Network.

#4. ECU @ Virginia Tech
     South Carolina beat ECU last weekend. Also, Virginia Tech beat Ohio State last weekend. I think you can start to see the picture I'm trying to paint with this game. SEC<C-USA<ACC<B1G. I know this isn't how it really works, but no harm in rooting for it. Additionally, multiple SEC teams play multiple C-USA teams so the better the C-USA looks, the better the SEC looks. Kickoff is 12:00 pm ET on ESPN/WatchESPN.

     Yes, I do realize that in #7 I am rooting for a MAC team to beat a C-USA team which contradicts what I just said in the previous paragraph. However, any C-USA team beating a Power 5 conference team can greatly help the SEC's strength of schedule. Hence why this game is far more important that the other game.

#3. UTSA @ Oklahoma St.
     This is somewhat of a unique game for this list. Neither of these teams play and SEC team. However, UTSA is a new member of the C-USA and quite frankly I think they are a dark horse candidate to win their conference. Again, anytime a C-USA team can beat a Power 5 conference team that can only help the SEC. UTSA is actually a decent team and Oklahoma St. doesn't play defense. If UTSA can keep it close they just might be able to pull off the upset, but keeping it close is a small victory in itself. Kickoff is 7:00 pm ET.

#2. Arkansas @ Texas Tech
     I don't think I really need to explain why this game is important. I actually think Arkansas has a great chance of beating Texas Tech. Arkansas is getting better on offense and Tech doesn't even pretend to play defense. Like, at all. They have given up a combined 61 points to Central Arkansas and UTEP. Yes, you read that correctly. So look for lots of points to be scored in this game and hopefully Arkansas can have the ball last with a chance to win. This game is being played in Dallas and kickoff is set for 3:30 pm ET on ABC.

#1. Tennessee @ Oklahoma
     And now we have reached the most important game of week 3. This game is huge. This is the type of game that can shape and define conference perceptions. Oklahoma is currently ranked #4 in a bunch of polls that don't matter any more. Tennessee is still rebuilding, but this game will certainly test the foundation. A Volunteer victory here would all but punch a second ticket for the SEC into the playoff. No better comparison of how much better the SEC is than everyone else when a supposed lower to middle of the pack SEC team beats your conference's best team. We should all be Tennessee fans this weekend. Yes, even you Bama fans. Beating a team that beat the #4 ranked team looks pretty good on a resume. So let's all begrudgingly learn the words to Rocky Top and cheer our a** off this weekend. Kickoff is 8:00 pm ET on ABC.

Playing Devil's Advocate

     So Ohio St recently lost its starting QB, Braxton Miller, for the season with a shoulder injury. Many have said that this is/was a devastating injury to tOSU national title hopes. Initially, I was inclined to agree with everyone. I still do. But I want to play devil's advocate for a second. Why are tOSU's hopes dashed but Alabama is still in the running? Both teams are replacing a lot of talent, in particular breaking in rookie QB's. The real difference is that tOSU has an immensely easier schedule than Alabama. Ohio State plays one team ranked in the pre-season top 25, Alabama plays the other 24 teams. Okay, maybe that's a bit of an exaggeration but you get my point. Alabama gets to play Florida, Texas A&M, LSU, and Auburn. Ohio State gets to play Virginia Tech, Cincinnati, Michigan State, and Michigan.

     Ohio State plays Virginia Tech September 6th. Virginia Tech very well might beat them that game, but should tOSU win then they could easily be 8-0 heading in to the Michigan State game. Undefeated in November certainly sounds like a playoff contender to me. Add on top of all that, tOSU's backup QB was a 4* recruit coming out of high school, and maybe all hope isn't lost in Columbus. 

     I think you could apply this argument to many teams throughout not only the SEC, but the entire nation. There are a lot of fresh faces at QB this year. That makes having a veteran QB all the more important to a title run. So losing an experienced QB weeks before the season starts does appear devastating, but is merely just placing you at par for the course. You're now like many other teams with a fresh face at QB. Just another obstacle to overcome.

Football Pick'em

We had a winning week again for week #5 going 9 - 6 ATS but only 5 - 5 on my top ten. This makes our year to date total 43 - 32 or 11 games to the good. Coach has gone back to the drawing board to refine the strategy for success. The staff of researchers came up with the following;

1. We are 11 - 1 in the SEC, 7 - 2 in the BIG 12, and 8 - 1 in the PAC 12.
2. We are better in the early games and next best in the night games.
3. We are not good in the BIG10 and ACC.

So with that said here we go for this week.

HOME TEAM

1.    Texas Tech by 14.5 over KANSAS

2.    Georgia by 10.5 over TENNESSEE

3.    Oregon by 38.5 over COLORADO

4.    LSU by 9.5 over MISSISSIPPI STATE

5.    Arizona State by 5.5 over NOTRE DAME

6.    STANFORD by 6.5 over Washington

7.    OKLAHOMA by 10.5 over TCU

8.    FLORIDA by 10.5 over Arkansas

9.    BAYLOR by 27.5 over West Virginia

10.  Louisville by 33.5 over TEMPLE

Something a little more risky;

11.  VANDY by 2.5 over Missouri

12.  AUBURN getting 2.5 from Ole Miss

13.  Washington State by 3.5 over CALIFORNIA

My upset specials this week are

14.  NORTHWESTERN getting 5.5 from Ohio State

15.  Minnesota getting 20.5 from MICHIGAN

Good luck sports fans and as always "May the Spread be With You".