The halfway point of the 2025 college football season is on the horizon, and it feels like we haven’t learned all that much just yet. You could argue that Ohio State and Oregon have established themselves as the two best teams in the country, but most of the other heavyweights still have plenty of questions to answer.
But while we wait for the likes of Alabama, LSU, Penn State, Texas, and Georgia to show us their true colors, we’ll focus on a team that likely already has done that: Texas Tech.
Playing in the wild west of the Big 12, it’s easy to overlook the Red Raiders because we’ve become so hyper-focused on the SEC and Big Ten, with the occasional peek at the ACC’s blue bloods.
So if you’ve missed what the boys from Lubbock are doing, here’s a quick catch-up.
Texas Tech is 4-0 with all four victories coming by at least 24 points, including its latest triumph, a 34-10 win over a trendy Utah team on the road.
The Red Raiders now travel to Houston, also undefeated, as 12.5-point favorites.
The Cougars deserve credit for going 4-for-4, but they’re in a tricky spot after barely getting by a bad Oregon State team in Corvallis last weekend.
Texas Tech, meanwhile, is coming off a bye.
Back the Red Raiders and their Heisman-caliber quarterback, Behren Morton, to run it up against Willie Fritz’s Cougars.
The Play: Texas Tech (-12.5) over HOUSTON
The Buckeyes are one of the best teams in the country, but they don’t profile as one you want to back to cover a huge number. Especially against a decent outfit like Minnesota.
Minnesota’s run defense has been terrific through four games, which will make Ohio State a little uncomfortable, given how tepid their passing attack has looked with Julian Sayin in charge.
That should force this game into the mud, which is why the Over/Under is sitting at just 42.5 points.
A low total is always good news for big underdogs, and I like the Golden Gophers’ chances of giving Ohio State a bit of a scare in an old-school type game that should be broadcast in black and white.
The most electric team in college football, Rice, will meet its polar opposite on Saturday.
Rice, if you haven’t heard, is running the triple-option this year, and they’re doing it to decent success. The Owls got off to their best start since 2001, and gave Navy a scare a few weeks ago.
Now, they take Florida Atlantic, a team that passes the ball more than all but two teams in FBS.
It’s oil and vinegar, but the problem is that vinegar can’t stop the run.
FAU boasts one of the worst run defenses in the country, which is bad news when you’re traveling to take on a triple-option attack.
Rice by a lot.
Last week: 3-0 | 2025 season: 11-4
Michael Leboff is a long-suffering Islanders fan, but a long-profiting sports bettor with 10 years of experience in the gambling industry. He loves using game theory to help punters win bracket pools, find long shots, and learn how to beat the market in mainstream and niche sports.