Finding Some Gold In A Sea Of Week 3 Matchups: Maryland-Temple, Florida-Kentucky, and Oklahoma-UCLA

After two weeks of the 2019 college football season, and especially after last week’s games, we are beginning to see that some teams are who we thought they were, while other teams are definitely not who we thought they were. What can you say about Michigan, who were three touchdown favorites across the board, being taken to OT (luckily for them) in the Big House by unranked Army? Or Texas, who came into week two ranked #9 and playing their biggest early season home game in years, yet couldn’t stop a nosebleed let alone LSU who ran roughshod over them all day? Last but not least, then #21 Syracuse, who went into unranked Maryland in what was essentially a pick ‘em game, and could not get on the team bus fast enough after the clock hit zeroes, victims of a 43-point blowout (the game was not even that close?)

Week three of a college football season would usually give us answers to these questions and more, but in 2019, week 3 is giving us more David vs Goliath matchups, as there are no contests between Top-25 ranked opponents, but there are a few options on this weekend’s slate to pique one’s interest.

#21 Maryland Terrapins (-295) @ Temple Owls (+215)
Under new head coach (and former Alabama offensive coordinator) Mike Locksley, the 2019 Maryland Terrapins are putting up offensive numbers that not only have never been seen around College Park, but are rivaling anything that’s been seen in any program in the country. Over the course of two games, the Terps have scored 142 total points, which is the THIRD most ever in college football in a team’s first two games since the AP began polling in 1934. They’ve been scoring all of these points being carried on the backs of senior graduate transfer QB Josh Jackson, and the three-headed monster of running backs Jake Funk, Tayon Fleet-Davis, and Javon Leake. Saying they’ve been dominant this year is an understatement.

Yet even with this dominance, they go into unranked Temple being favored by only 7.5 (-106). Las Vegas does not seem to be convinced. Devil’s advocate says this is a trap game as Maryland plays #13 Penn State at home in week four, arguably their biggest game in several years. Also taking into account the fact that Temple dominated Maryland in their 2018 meeting by a score of 35-14, this game should be a close one, at least for a half. Temple put up 56 points in a blowout of Bucknell in its only game this season, so they are used to getting to the endzone too. With all of Maryland’s talent on offense, they should pull away and win this one by double-digits, but the value here is in the over/under, which is currently at 66.5 (-114).

#9 Florida Gators -8 (-114) @ Kentucky Wildcats +8 (-114)
This game marks the beginning of conference play for both teams. Florida hopes to exact a little revenge on Kentucky for last year’s 27-16 defeat at home in The Swamp, bringing a swarming, athletic, and nasty defense into Lexington to take on the Wildcats. Sadly, Kentucky QB Terry “Touchdown” Wilson, 12-3 over the last two seasons as the starter, was lost for the season with a knee injury last week. That’s a huge blow for Kentucky, especially if they are going to stay in this game. Junior transfer Sawyer Smith will be under center, and though he has experience from being the starter at Troy last season, he hasn’t faced a defense like Florida’s.

Expect a large dose of Kentucky running backs, led by Kavosiey (yes, pronounced like the cognac) Smith. Kentucky will have to control the clock and keep possession of the ball to have any chance of pulling off the upset. There will be a raucous crowd in Lexington on Saturday night, and that will keep Kentucky in this game. Kentucky and the points is the play here.

#5 Oklahoma Sooners -23 (-114) @ UCLA Bruins +23 (-114)
The final game on the card is the Oklahoma Sooners, led by the on-a-mission and Heisman Trophy frontrunner Jalen Hurts, going into the Rose Bowl to play the ghost that once was UCLA football. Seriously. What happened to these guys? They went 3-9 last year under new head coach and (college) offensive guru Chip Kelly, but that was mostly with players from the previous regime. So new season, new attitude with “Chip’s guys”, right? Well, apparently, wrong. The 2019 campaign hasn’t been kind so far, to put it mildly. Week 1 they lost at Cincinnati 24-14, and then followed that up by losing AT HOME to San Diego State as a 7.5 point favorite, 23-14. You don’t need to be a math wizard to see that’s 28 total points in two games--Maryland scores that many during the time it takes you to grab a cold beverage and a hot dog at the concession stand. Oklahoma, under the leadership of Hurts, has put up 119 points across their first two games, and they seem to just be getting warmed up. In last year’s matchup in Norman, Oklahoma was favored by 30.5 points, but did not cover as they went on to win 49-21.

Oklahoma is better this year under Hurts, and UCLA is worse, so laying something on the Sooners to cover is definitely tempting, but the play here is the over/under 73 (-114). Oklahoma’s defense is better than last year’s Swiss cheese unit, but they are still not where you want a national championship contender to be yet, so UCLA should surpass their 14-point average by a touchdown. Unfortunately for them and their fans, Oklahoma will put up 50+ points. Over 73 points is the play here.

That’s the card for week three. Thanks for reading and good luck!

*Credit to the main photo of this article belongs to Sue Ogrocki/ Associated Press.