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Texas (-1.5) vs. Arizona State (Thursday, Dec. 27, 8:00 p.m. ET) – This is a matchup between two teams that disappointed down the stretch. I like a lot of what both teams do, and I think Dennis Erickson has done amazing things withe the Sun Devils, but I have to go with Texas. They are a much more experienced team, and they are a stronger team on paper. They have lots of bowl success, and should come out ahead at this one. I don’t think it is likely to be a blowout, but at this spread Texas presents real value. Pick: Texas.

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Three college football games intrigue me on Friday:

Central Michigan (-2.5) at Akron – The Akron offense has been struggling for the most part recently. Central Michigan never seems to falter offensively against teams of this caliber. I’ll take the explosive offense to win by less than a field goal. Pick: Central Michigan

Texas (-6) at Texas A&M – Texas has an outside shot of winning the Big 12 and earning the conference’s prime BCS spot. To do that they will  need Oklahoma to lose, and they will need to win themselves. That, coupled with seeking to avenge an A&M victory last year, should be motivation enough to win this game handily. A&M is slumping badly, and Texas has won five in a row. The Longhorns don’t always win by much, but they are clearly the better team here and should do just fine.  Pick: Texas

Boise State (+3) at Hawaii - I hate picking against an undefeated team, but the visitor is the better team here. The Broncos have been winning in dominating fashion, while Hawaii has been surviving one close call after another. It’s to their credit that they keep finding ways to win, but Boise State is by far the best team they have faced this year, and I’m not sure they will be able to come back again here. Taking the better team and the points is always a value play. Pick: Boise State

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Texas (-2.5) at Oklahoma State – I don’t love what Texas is doing this year, but I like them in this spot. The Horns have won three in a row, including an impressive comeback against Nebraska last weekend. Oklahoma State has a lousy pass defense which Texas will be able to exploit, and that will set up the Horns’ running game. Texas has won nine games in a row against the Cowboys, and I like their chances to do it again here. Pick: Texas.

Missouri (-3.5) at Colorado - Missouri has been doing a good job in recent weeks of shutting down opposing offenses and scoring a lot of points on their own. They are truly a classy team. Colorado has been surprisingly good, but in two of the last three weeks they have struggled against balanced teams like Missouri. This line provides value for the Tigers. Pick: Missouri.

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Tulsa (-2.5) at UTEP – Tulsa had a rough week last week, but they are still a fantastic offense, and they should be able to handily score more points than UTEP. The Miners have a terrible pass defense for Smith to exploit. If both teams are at their best then this line is a steal. Pick: Tulsa.

Nebraska and Missouri over 68 – I don’t play totals very often, but this one caught my eye. Both teams have offenses that can pile up the point, and neither team has shown any ability whatsoever to stop anyone. Both coaches will be looking to make a point and prove their worth and the worth of their team. I think this will be a serious shootout. Pick: Over.

Miami (-7.5) at North Carolina – North Carolina played Virginia Tech tight last week while Miami has disappointed against the spread in three of the last four weeks. Given that we get the extra half point above the touchdown here, I find the Tar Heels very attractive. Pick: North Carolina.

Oklahoma (-12) vs. Texas – I don’t often play the really high profile games like this, but I can’t resist here. Both teams had disastrous weeks last week, but I have much more confidence in Oklahoma’s ability to bounce back than I do with Texas. Texas is deeply flawed, and I expect Sam Bradford to be able to exploit those problems. Oklahoma will be pissed off after last week, and I don’t expect them to keep this close. Pick: Oklahoma.

Central Florida (-3.5) at East Carolina – East Carolina is getting more respect than they deserve here because they upset Houston last week. That was thanks to mistakes by Kevin Kolb’s replacement at QB, though, and it won’t happen here. Central Florida runs a ton, and they are very good at it. East Carolina struggles against the run. Pick: Central Florida.

Minnesota (+12) at Indiana – I like pretty much everything that Kellen Lewis and Indiana have done, and nothing that Minnesota has done. My wife cheers for Minnesota (she thinks the idea of a gopher as a mascot is ridiculous, and therefore great), so picking against her is always fun. This one could get ugly. Pick: Indiana

UPDATE: An ugly week, but if you don’t believe you are going to have those then you are delusional. It started well with nice wins by Indiana and North Carolina, but that was the end of the good times. Oklahoma played well, but were let down by their lack of discipline – key penalties cost them the drive that would have covered. Central Florida didn’t show up, Tulsa lost a squeaker, and the total didn’t come through because though Missouri did their job and scored a ton Nebraska decided to take the night off. We’ll get them next week. On the pus side, at least I’m not a USC fan.

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