Believe it or not, the second half of the NCAA football schedule is here. Week 8 of college football betting has some intriguing matchups between conference rivals, which could be tempting for those handicappers looking to find an edge in the posted college football spreads. Here are a couple must-see, must-bet showdowns:

Tennessee Volunteers at Alabama Crimson Tide (-15)

This a great chance for football bettors to capitalize on some bad blood. There's no love lost between Alabama coach Nick Saban and UT head coach Lane Kiffin, stemming from some recruiting wars this past spring. Adding gasoline to this already very volatile SEC matchup was Alabama's decision to deny the Vols the use of their orange jerseys. Tennessee had approval from the NCAA to sport the alternative uniform but needed clearance from the host school. The Crimson Tide nixed the Orange Crush, sending a message to Kiffin and the UT players – not on our turf. Tennessee has shown a tendency to get up for big conference opponents and didn't roll over for Florida earlier this season.

Alabama has won the last two meetings between theses programs easily, taking last season's game 29-9 as 5-point road favorites. The Tide overtook the defending BCS champion Florida Gators in the polls this week after crushing South Carolina 20-6 last weekend. Running back Mark Ingram rushed for 246 yards and a score in that win, pushing his name to the top of the list of Heisman Trophy favorites. More impressive is the Alabama defense, which ranks first in total yards allowed and has held four of its seven opponents to single-digit scores.

Penn State Nittany Lions at Michigan Wolverines (+4.5)

If Penn State wants to stay in the hunt for the Big Ten crown it must go into the Big House and pull out a win. The Nittany Lions are winless at Ann Arbor since 1996, with their last trip coming in September of 2007. They dropped a defensive slugfest, 14-9, as 2-point road favorites in that game. Since losing to Iowa four weeks ago, PSU's defense has stiffened up. It's allowed just 20 total points in the past three games – only three in the last two contests. However, this UM offense is very dynamic and will match the Lions' speedy linebackers with even faster rushers.

One of those players that could give PSU headaches Saturday is Wolverines freshman quarterback Tate Forcier, who was back at practice this week after suffering a shoulder injury and slight concussion over the last three weeks. Forcier was able to rest for most of last week's blowout win over Delaware State, throwing only two passes for 39 yards, and says he is fully healthy heading into this Big Ten battle. He has passed for more than 1,000 yards and nine touchdowns since being named the starter while adding another 180 yards and two scores on the ground this year.

TCU Horned Frogs at BYU Cougars (+2.5)

The best in the Mountain West collide in this very important conference matchup. The little conference that could is not in the BCS bowl picture like last season, but the winner of this game should take the driver’s seat in getting the biggest bowl bid. TCU hasn't won at BYU since a 51-50 thriller in 2005 as a 3-point road underdog. The Horned Frogs are coming off a big 44-6 win over Colorado State last weekend. They rank fourth in total defense and have locked down opponents to less than two touchdowns per game this season.

Brigham Young has rebounded from its loss to Florida State with four straight victories. In the last two games quarterback Max Hall has stolen the spotlight. The senior pivot ranks eighth in the nation in passing yards per game after posting 666 total yards in wins over UNLV and San Diego State on the road. The most impressive stat coming out of those games isn't his five touchdowns or his 73.5 completion percentage - Hall was without an interception in both wins after getting picked off 10 times in the first five games of the year.


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