Conference title races are heating up across college football, including in the state of Texas. Important intrastate contests headline Week 10 with UTSA hoping to remain the only undefeated program in the state after a trip to El Paso to face a surprising UTEP squad. TCU hosts Baylor in the first game without Gary Patterson roaming the sidelines since last century. And Texas A&M plays host to Auburn hoping to keep SEC dreams alive. 

Lines provided by Bovada. Texas Tech is idle in Week 10. 

SMU at Memphis, Saturday, 11 a.m., ESPNU

Line: SMU -5.5, O/U 70.5

Preview: The Mustangs lost for the first time this season in a back-and-forth affair at Houston in Week 9. The challenge for SMU (7-1) is to not let that one loss become two. SMU still controls its own destiny in the AAC despite the loss thanks to an upcoming trip to Cincinnati. The Mustangs can’t look past a Memphis (4-4) squad that is a tricky opponent if quarterback Seth Henigan, a Texas product, is healthy enough to start. Memphis has lost four of its last five. 

SMU knows what to expect from Tanner Mordecai at this point in the season. He and his wide receivers are putting up huge numbers in 2021. Mordecai is second in FBS with 32 passing touchdowns. He’s passed for 2,625 yards on the season. SMU must reestablish its running attack and that likely requires a healthy Ulysses Bentley. 

Craven’s wager: SMU -5.5

North Texas at Southern Miss, Saturday, 2 p.m., ESPN+

Line: North Texas -4.5, O/U 48

Preview: In theory, one of these teams must win. North Texas survived overtime last week at Rice to improve to 2-6 on the season. The victory snapped a six-game losing streak. The Mean Green should add another win to the column on the road against a Southern Miss team (1-7) that’s only win is over Grambling. Southern Miss averages 13.6 points a game. The North Texas offense led by quarterback Austin Aune is averaging 23.9 and 160 yards more a game than Southern Miss. If the North Texas defense offers any resistance, North Texas should cruise. 

Craven’s wager: North Texas -4.5

Texas State vs. UL Monroe, Saturday, 2 p.m., ESPN+

Line: Texas State -3.5, O/U 59

Preview: Another game on the slate in Week 10 that might not produce beautiful football. Texas State head coach Jake Spavital received a vote of confidence from the admin via a statement by Don Coryell that states future intent to do a better job of financially backing the football program. To keep that confidence alive in San Marcos, Texas State needs to start winning football games. Week 10 offers a nice rebound from the 45-0 loss to Louisiana in Week 9. The biggest question for Texas State is who starts at quarterback between Brady McBride and Tyler Vitt. Vitt earned the start in Week 9 with McBride out due to injury. Both teams are relatively even statistically with each giving up about two more touchdowns than scored on the season. 

Craven’s wager:

TCU vs. Baylor, Saturday, 2:30 p.m., FOX

Line: Baylor -6.5, O/U 58

Preview: Half of the players participating in the TCU/Baylor game on Saturday afternoon weren’t alive the last time the Horned Frogs played without Gary Patterson roaming the sidelines as either a defensive coordinator or head coach. TCU and Patterson mutually parted way following the Week 9 loss at Kansas State. TCU (3-6) could lose its fourth home game of the season with a 7-1 Baylor squad in town that is aiming for a spot in the Big 12 title game. The Horned Frogs are allowing 31.5 points per game. 

Baylor is one of the best offenses in the nation in year one under offensive coordinator Jeff Grimes. Quarterback Gerry Bohanon has thrown 12 touchdowns to just three interceptions. Abram Smith, a linebacker on the 2020 squad, has rushed for 930 yards and 11 touchdowns on the season. His 7.4 yards per carry average leads the Big 12. The defense is led by a linebacker trio of Dillon Doyle, Terrel Bernard, and Jalen Pitre.  

Craven’s wager: Baylor -6.5

Texas A&M vs. Auburn, Saturday, 2:30 p.m., CBS

Line: Texas A&M -4.5, O/U 49

Preview: We find out if Texas A&M is more the team that beat Alabama or the squad that lost back-to-back SEC contests when the Aggies host Auburn on Saturday afternoon. Both teams enter the game at 6-2. Texas A&M is on a three-game winning streak following consecutive losses to Arkansas and Mississippi State. A renewed focus on running the football is one of the main reasons for the turnaround. The running back duo of Isaiah Spiller and Devon Achane is the best in the state, and arguably the best in the nation.

To beat Auburn means to stop the run. Quarterback Bo Nix is often part of that running game, scripted or as a scrambler. Running back Tank Bigsby averages 5.3 yards a rush on 125 carries. The Tigers average 34.9 points per game compared to 29.6 for Texas A&M. The Aggies allow more than three points fewer per contest and hold a defensive advantage thanks to an elite defensive line. I worry that the open weekend in Week 9 hurt the momentum Texas A&M built in the previous three weeks. 

Craven’s wager: Auburn +4.5

Rice at Charlotte, Saturday, 2:30 p.m., ESPN+

Line: Rice +6, O/U 53

Preview: Rice is back on the road looking for an upset. The Owls pulled it off in Week 8 against UAB. It’ll be up against another favorite on the road in Week 10. Rice dropped to 3-5 on the season in an overtime loss to North Texas. That loss likely cost Rice any chance of reaching bowl eligibility. The problem for the Owls continues to be health at quarterback. Three different players have started at the position through eight games thanks to a revolving door of injuries. Jake Constantine is expected to start for the second week in a row due to a Wiley Green injury. 

Charlotte is dealing with its own injury problems at quarterback and haven’t looked like the same team without Chris Reynolds at the helm in the last couple of weeks. Charlotte is averaging 11 points per game during its current two-game losing streak. 

Craven’s wager: Charlotte -6

Texas at Iowa State, Saturday, 6:30 p.m., FS1

Line: Texas +6.5, O/U 60.5

Preview: The Longhorns sit at 4-4 with four games left in the season. Texas hopes to snap a three-game losing streak with a trip to Iowa State. Steve Sarkisian's bunch hasn't struggled to start games well and build early leads. It has found holding those leads impossible since blowing an 18-point lead in the fourth quarter of the Red River Showdown against Oklahoma. Texas lost a 14-point lead the next week against Oklahoma State and an 11-point lead in Week 9 against Baylor. Texas' offensive line struggles impact the play of the entire offense. Some onlookers in Austin want Hudson Card back in at quarterback despite Casey Thompson passing for 1,554 yards, 17 touchdowns to just six interceptions. Iowa State quarterback Brock Purdy has thrown for 12 touchdowns on the season. 

The team that runs the football with more consistency likey wins this football game. Bijan Robinson ran for a season-low 43 yards in the loss to Baylor last weekend. He had eclipsed 100 yards in six of the seven games played by Texas leading into Week 9. Robinson is averaging 5.9 yards a carry and will reach the 1,000-yard mark with 33 yards on Saturday. Iowa State's Breece Hallis as productive with 985 yards and 12 touchdowns on 179 carries. 

Craven’s wager: Texas +6.5

Houston at South Florida, Saturday, 6:30 p.m., ESNPU

Line: Houston -13, O/U 50.5 

Preview: Houston must avoid a letdown against South Florida following an emotional win over SMU at home in Week 9. Clayton Tune led the way in the win over the previously unbeaten Mustangs with a career-high 412 yards and four touchdown passes. The Cougar defense accounted for more sacks in the win (3) than SMU gave up in the previous seven games (2). The combination of explosive offense, pressuring defense and a special teams unit led by returner Marcus Jones has the Cougars at 7-1 and on track to reach the AAC conference championship game in either a rematch against SMU or a meeting with a Cincinnati team hoping to reach the College Football Playoff. Only Houston can beat Houston in Week 10, however, because South Florida is a bad team that struggles to score points. 

Craven’s wager: Houston -13

UTEP vs. UTSA, Saturday, 9:15 p.m., ESPN2

Line: UTSA -11, O/U 53

Preview: UTSA is the only unbeaten FBS program in Texas at 8-0. The Roadrunners were the only undefeated team kept out of the initial College Football Rankings. They won't be concerned about that during the trip to El Paso to take on a 6-2 Miners program who nearly cameback in a Week 9 loss at FAU. UTEP is now 0-26-1 in the Eastern Time Zone. UTSA was idle in Week 9. The off week didn't stop UTSA from making headlines as the school and head coach Jeff Traylor agreed on an extension through 2031 valued at $28 million dollars. That was a two-million dollar a year raise for the former head man at Gilmer. The move was intended to keep programs such as Texas Tech and TCU away from Traylor. 

An undefeated season and the program's first ever trip to a conference title game is within reach of UTSA if the Roadrunners can pass the test in El Paso. The UTEP defense is amongst the best in C-USA and UTSA will need another big performance from Frank Harris to move to 9-0. Harris might be the most improved player in Texas with the quarterback passing for 1,793 yards and 16 touchdowns compared to three interceptions. UTEP quarterback Gavin Hardison has thrown for more yards than Harris, but he's only accounted for 10 touchdown passes and is mistake prone with nine interceptions. 

On paper, UTSA should win this game by two touchdowns. But, football isn't played on paper. I expect the Sun Bowl to experience its best environment in years and for the Miners to play inspired football, especially early, against the favored Roadrunners. UTSA has proven comfortable taking another team's best shot and that grit should provide UTSA with a hard-fought victory. 

Craven’s wager: UTEP +11