Previewing Thursday's college football TV games

Louisiana Tech (1-1) at North Texas (1-1)

Time/TV: 8 p.m. ET/CBS Sports Net.

Surface: Artificial.

Line: Sagarin difference: La. Tech by 2.01.

Synopsis: This Conference USA clash features two teams hoping to overachieve in 2014. It could be said that both have already done so, with the Bulldogs coming off a surprisingly easy conquest of UL-Lafayette on the road and the Mean Green dominating a struggling SMU squad at home.

Louisiana Tech's top playmaker is TB Kenneth Dixon, who already has a 99-yard TD burst under his belt this season. He gets aerial cover from QB Cody Sokol and WR Sterling Griffin. North Texas will look to contain those weapons with the likes of LB Derek Akunne and CB Kenny Buyers. Louisiana Tech's run defense faces a different challenge from the Ragin' Cajuns' spread they successfully shut down last time out. The Mean Green attack is geared more for power, with TB Reggie Pegram leading the way. North Texas QB Josh Greer hasn't needed to air it out much yet, and he'll be up against a deep Bulldogs' second level featuring LB/S C.J. Cleveland.

Houston (1-1) at Brigham Young (2-0)

Time/TV: 9 p.m. ET/ESPN.

Surface: Grass.

Line: Sagarin difference: BYU by 24.03.

Synopsis: This all-Cougar nightcap features one of the game's most dynamic QBs, BYU's Taysom Hill, finally getting to play in front of a friendly crowd. Not that he was bothered by opening on the road; he's accounted for eight TDs, five by land, in easy wins at Connecticut and Texas. When he doesn't take the ball himself, he'll try to get it into the hands of top WR Jordan Leslie or TB Jamaal Williams. Houston's 2014 campaign got off to a bad start against UTSA. The visiting Cougars will have to eliminate the turnovers that were their undoing in the opener.

*Lines furnished by Glantz-Culver.

*Jeff Sagarin's power ratings show the relative strength of teams; 3.51 points were added to the home team's rating to calculate the difference.