Texas is ranked inside the Top 10, undefeated, and massacring mid-majors like it's a day out with the kids. The Longhorns have covered six consecutive games back to last season, including back-to-back spreads of 40 points in their two outings this campaign, while averaging a ridiculous 103.5 points per contest. Put all those ingredients together and Texas comes into this matchup with tremendous curb appeal and a potentially inflated price attached to its name and crest. You know the drill. The market sees a powerhouse that has been making light work of inferior opposition, and naturally, the temptation is to keep riding the Longhorns until the wheels fall off. But here's the question. At what point does laying this kind of lumber become a liability rather than an opportunity?
So far it hasn't been proven the former but remember what happened with James Madison and Kentucky? Big Blue was expected to dismantle the Dukes, but James Madison hung around and put 80 points on the board. Were the Cats looking ahead to Kansas tomorrow? Probably. Whether Grambling State manages anything remotely similar is beside the point. The possibility exists, particularly when Texas has bigger fish to fry with a trip to Baylor looming on Sunday. You can rest assured that the Longhorns have one eye on their upcoming collision with the Bears and this is precisely the sort of spot where a superior team handles business without necessarily covering an enormous number. After all, Baylor is the first time Texas gets to play someone of consequence this season as opposed to ram-sacking cupcakes in Austin. The Horns could build a commanding lead, rotate its personnel, and allow Grambling State to sneak through the backdoor against a spread inflated by the Longhorns' recent dominance. Two splatterings thus far and gaudy offensive numbers only enhance the temptation to lay the points. I'll happily take them instead.
Grambling State vs Texas prediction: Grambling State +35.5 (-110) available at time of publishing. Playable to +35.
