Week 3: Big 12, Pac 12, MWAC, WAC, Independents. Can the Irish avoid an 0-3 start?

Another edition of Week 3 of The Nitty Griddy, where, just like Notre Dame, we give away all of our best stuff for free. Looking ahead to this weekend, UCLA gets another shot at a Texas team, Toledo gets to face another top-tier opponent, and the Holy War kicks off in Utah. Onto the picks!

Pac 12
Colo. St. @ Colorado -8.5
Texas -3.5 @ UCLA
Washington @ Nebraska -17
Missouri St. @ Oregon OFF
PC @ Cal OFF
Wash. St. @ SDSU -6
ASU -1 @ Illinois
'Cuse @ USC -17
Utah @ BYU -5
Stanford -10.5 @ Arizona

Big 12
Iowa St. @ UConn -4.5
Kansas @ Ga. Tech. -15
Texas Tech -20 @ UNM
W. Ill. @ Mizzou OFF
Stephen F. Austin @ Baylor OFF
Idaho @ A&M -36
Kent St. @ Kansas St. -17.5
Oklahoma -3.5 @ FSU
OSU -14 @ Tulsa

WAC
Nevada -6 @ SJSU
Houston -8 @ La. Tech
UTEP -3 @ NMSU
N. Dakota @ Fresno St. OFF
Hawaii -20 @ UNLV

MWAC
Boise St. -19 @ Toledo
Wyo @ Bowling Green -8.5
La. Mon. @ TCU OFF

Independents
MSU @ Notre Dame -4.5

Kyle says...

Texas -3.5 @ UCLA
The Horns come into this game with an unsettled quarterback situation and after an uncomfortably close victory over BYU. I'd pick against the Horns because they've struggled against UCLA, including the beatdown by the Bruins in Austin last year, EXCEPT for the fact that UCLA is just terrible. They haven't clicked offensively in a victory over San Jose St. and a loss to Houston, and Rick Neuheisel appears to see his imminent departure on the wall. Jaxon Shipley continues to show what he can do for Texas and the 'Horns cover.

Arizona St. -1 @ Illinois
I think Arizona State walks in this this one and covers easily. Illinois has yet to play a real game and ASU's offense proved it could show up in a big way in last week's last-second victory over Mizzou. Linebacker Vontaze Burfict gets the defense back in order after allowing 30 points last week and dominates away from the desert.

Utah @ BYU -5
The Holy War kicks this year in Provo with two teams who improved in losses last week. Someone is hungry for this. Utah's defense has been stingy, allowing 27 points in the last two games. BYU is battle tested, after have gone to both Austin and Oxford. But, look for the Y's Coach Bronco Mendenhall to scheme his way to a victory in front of the Cougar faithful.

Oklahoma -3.5 @ Florida State
The Sooners have a death grip on the No. 1 spot in the matchup of the weekend. No. 5 FSU is on the rise with a veteran laden defense. The difference here will come down to coaching, and I'm not sure the Sooners cover, but when Bob Stoops has time to prepare for anyone not named Boise State, as he did with last week's bye, it's going to be difficult to beat him. Boomer.

Michigan State @ -4.5 Notre Dame
After two weeks, the Irish are the best 2-loss team in the nation. Meanwhile, the Spartans turned in THE defensive performance of the year in their 44-0 shutout of FAU, where MSU allowed just one first down. With it's balanced, three-headed running attack, MSU simply needs to control the ball, sit back, and hand the Irish enough rope to hang themselves with given ND's penchant for turning it over. Any Irish win will have to be spearheaded by WR Michael Floyd, who inspires more than a few "Holy shit" moments per game. Look for the Spartans to come out ahead, even if they don't necessarily cover.