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PrintIt’s only human for college football players to look ahead on the schedule.
A member of the BTB Sports Betting Forum started threads the first few weeks about teams that might be looking past their current opponents, and we’ve decided to take that idea and run with it.
It’s relatively slim pickings this week, but here’s our top five college football teams that might be peeking ahead.
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5. MISSOURI
This week: vs. Vanderbilt (-7)
Next week: vs. Alabama
Why they might get caught peeking ahead: Something just hasn’t clicked yet with this Tigers team, and now they’re looking for their first SEC win against a Vanderbilt squad that is coming off a 48-3 loss to Georgia two weeks ago. But the Commodores had a bye to prepare for this game, while Missouri spent last week getting even more banged up in a tough win at Central Florida, and then their most talented wide receiver spent this week getting blazed.
4. TCU
This week: vs. Iowa State (-7)
Next week: at Baylor
Why they might get caught peeking ahead: We all remember the Baylor-TCU Friday night shootout to open last season, so is there any chance the Horned Frogs will be looking ahead to their chance at revenge? Iowa State always pulls off an upset in Big 12 play, and TCU will be forced to play with backup quarterback Trevone Boykin—a redshirt freshman with 10 career passes—after starter Casey Pachall was arrested on suspicion of drunk driving this week.
3. MISSISSIPPI STATE
This week: at Kentucky (-10)
Next week: vs. Tennessee
Why they might get caught peeking ahead: In SEC play, we can pretty much just pencil in any team that’s playing Kentucky on this list every week. Last week, South Carolina survived a sluggish start to win by 21 points leading up to its showdown with Georgia. Can undefeated and 20th-ranked Mississippi State avoid a letdown in advance of a key home game against Tennessee? The Volunteers have a bye this week, giving them extra time to prepare for their trip to Starkville, so perhaps Bulldogs coach Dan Mullen felt a little bit of pressure to get some “advance scouting” done.
2. STANFORD
This week: vs. Arizona (-9)
Next week: at Notre Dame
Why they might get caught peeking ahead: The Cardinal had a week-and-a-half to stew over their upset loss at Washington last Thursday, so this doesn’t quite fit the profile, but there’s still a chance they’re looking ahead to their trip to South Bend. Arizona is 0-2 in the Pac-12 after getting rocked at Oregon and losing a squeaker at home to Oregon State to open conference play. Stanford could be chalking this up as a win and thinking about the Fighting Irish.
1. OKLAHOMA
This week: at Texas Tech (-4.5)
Next week: vs. Texas
Why they might get caught peeking ahead: It’s Texas vs. Oklahoma. The only reason the Longhorns aren’t on this list is because they’re facing a Top 10 team (West Virginia) at home in a primetime matchup. We actually like the Sooners in this spot coming off the loss to Kansas State and desperately wanting to dig themselves an 0-2 hole in the Big 12. It seems like there’s been an over-adjustment of the spread, but it’s impossible to ignore the matchup they have looming next week.
