One of the most pivotal games of Week 3 of the college football season will take place on Saturday night, when the Ohio State Buckeyes and TCU Horned Frogs meet in a neutral site game that may as well be a home game for TCU. The Buckeyes agreed to this game in order to keep their access to the fertile Texas recruiting market, and now they are looking to take care of business without head coach Urban Meyer on the sidelines. However, the Horned Frogs know that they have a decent chance to pull off the upset given the circumstances, and Gary Patterson will be up to the challenge.
This contest in Week 3 will go down Saturday, September 15, 2018 at 8 p.m. ET at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas.
College Football Odds at BookMaker.eu
Ohio State -12
TCU +12
Total 58
Odds Analysis
The CFB betting line has moved in favor of the Buckeyes since the line opened on Sunday evening. Ohio State was -10 per the NCAAF betting odds when this line came out, but since then the line has moved by two points. The Buckeyes are now favored by a hefty 12 points in a virtual road game.
The total has risen in this game too. Initially, the CFB betting odds had the over/under listed at 56.5 points. However, the line has moved up to 58 as of Tuesday morning. Don’t be surprised if it climbs higher either, as more and more bettors jump on when they see what Ohio State has done on offense in its previous games.
Player to Watch
It’s hard to play much better than Dwayne Haskins has since becoming Ohio State’s starting quarterback. Haskins has made a name for himself during his short time in Columbus. He was incredibly efficient as a back-up when he was a freshman last season, and he has clearly built off of that in his first year as a starter.
Haskins has not been asked to run much in this offense. Urban Meyer’s quarterbacks typically run quite a bit, but Meyer has changed his philosophy a tad in recent years. Now, he tries to keep his quarterbacks from taking unnecessary hits, and he does not use a lot of quarterback runs in games that should be easy victories.
That hasn’t been a problem with Haskins. He has faced two Power Five opponents in his first two games, but those two foes were Rutgers and Oregon State, teams that are considered the worst in their conferences. Haskins torched them through the air, completing 79 percent of his passes while averaging 10.3 yards per throw and tossing nine touchdowns against one interception.
Matchup to Watch
TCU has a new quarterback of its own in Shawn Robinson. However, unlike Haskins, his play has been far more reserved, and the Horned Frogs are mainly asking him to move the chains and help out the run game when need be.
Robinson is TCU’s leading rusher through the first two games of the season, and this team has moved the ball on the ground for the most part. The Horned Frogs have three players that have rushed for over 100 yards already this season, and they have run the ball 84 times through two games. Ohio State’s front seven is talented, but they have been susceptible to the run, and the Horned Frogs will look to take advantage.
Free ATS Pick
This could be a tricky game for the Buckeyes. TCU is an opponent that knows how to play teams close, and they have had an extra day to prepare after playing on Friday instead of Saturday. The Horned Frogs will show Haskins looks that he hasn’t seen before, and he will struggle, but eventually the Buckeyes will pull through for the victory. It won’t be enough for the cover though.
College Football Odds: Ohio State 28, TCU 24
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