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(Image from Fighting Gobbler)

By: Kyle Ferraro

College football is back! Following a 2-1 week zero for myself, I am ready to get after a much larger slate in week one. Let’s keep in mind that this is only week one, meaning very little is known about these teams and everything is speculation. I hope to continue to post an article like this throughout the NFL and NCAA seasons. I commit .5 units on my likes and 1 unit on my loves, however, to each their own on the size of your bets. 

Likes:

West Virginia +8 vs. Penn State: *Disclaimer* I will be boots on the ground at this game, so I am obligated to take the points. I do believe the home team can cover and even win the game. The Mountaineers operate through their running game, led by C.J. Donaldson Jr and Jahiem White. Donaldson is coming off an 11-touchdown season while White averaged 8.2 yards per carry en route to 792 yards on the ground. Quarterback Garrett Greene also added 772 rush yards last season behind a great offensive line that plans to carry over their success into this season. Every offensive lineman slated to start for West Virginia played more than 390 snaps last season. Penn State is an eight-point favorite for a reason, as they seemingly have a better roster in every way. The Nittany Lions were an inconsistent team last season, and most of that revolved around quarterback Drew Allar. I will gladly back the Mountaineers at Milan Puskar Stadium. 

Colorado State +32 @ Texas: I get it, betting against the fourth-ranked team in the country may not be the best idea. However, Colorado State has a quarterback and wide receiver duo that might be towards the top in the country. Quarterback Brayden Fowler-Nicolosi is coming off a 3,460-yard and 22-touchdown season with Tory Horton accounting for 1,136 and eight by himself. Texas is a juggernaut this season, but I just feel like 31.5 points is way too much to give this Colorado State offense. Over 60 could also be a play if you don’t feel comfortable betting against Texas. 

Arizona TT over 45.5 vs New Mexico: Noah Fifita and Tetairoa McMillian will pick up right where they left off last season. This Arizona team has added impact transfers all over the field to go along with their foundation of Fifita and McMillian. Regardless of their coach leaving to become the head coach at Washington, I trust Brent Brennan to keep the train rolling. New Mexico is coming off a loss in week zero where they blew a 17-point lead in the fourth quarter to an FCS school in Montana State. 

South Carolina TT over 37.5 vs Old Dominion: The Gamecocks will trot out a new-look offense with redshirt freshman quarterback LaNorris Sellers, star running back Raheim Sanders, and three different transfer wide receivers. Their offensive line is well above average and their depth is very underrated with Nyck Harbor projected to be their fourth wide receiver and he is a freak of nature. 

Oklahoma State -9.5 vs. South Dakota State: The Cowboys of Oklahoma State are returning 21 starters from their Big 12 Championship roster, including Ollie Gordon who totaled 1,732 rushing yards and 21 TDs last season. Alan Bowman is set to begin his seventh season in college football, however, that doesn’t mean he is a great player. Bowman is serviceable, and if he can hand the ball to Gordon and take the pressure off of the Cowboy defense then ten points will be an easy number to cover. With the expanded field for the College Football Playoffs, a team like Oklahoma State needs to take every game seriously and South Dakota State is a team you cannot underestimate. Fresh off winning the FCS National Championship, the Jackrabbits and star QB Mark Gronowski are the perfect team to give the BIG 12 contenders a scare in week 1, however, I will take arguably the best player in College Football and not think twice. 

Loves 

UNC -2.5 @ Minnesota: Remember the name Omarion Hampton. The star running back racked up upward of 1,500 yards and 15 touchdowns on the ground last season for the Tar Heels. Minnesota’s defense allowed 149 yards per game on the ground last season putting Hampton in the perfect opportunity to run away with this game. Minnesota’s star running back, Darius Taylor is questionable for Thursday’s game with everything pointing to the sophomore being ruled out.

Nebraska -27.5 vs. UTEP: This bet is all about believing in Dylan Raiola and Matt Rule. Raiola looks to be the second coming of Patrick Mahomes so far during the off-season and Matt Rule is going into his second season as the head man for the Cornhuskers. UTEP is coming off a 3-9 season and hired Scotty Walden to be their new coach. Nebraska at Memorial Stadium playing against a bad team, 27.5 is a number I love. I would also think about taking the over on Nebraska’s team total of 39.5.

LSU -4 @ USC: Grant Nussmeier will be stepping into the starting role this season for the Tigers and has huge shoes to fill after Jayden Daniels’ Heisman campaign last season. LSU lost two first-round wide receivers from last season but will replace their production with Kyren Lacy and Mason Taylor. Lacy finished the 2023 season with seven touchdowns in a crowded receiving room. LSU also has two potential first-round tackles on their roster with Will Campbell and Emery Jones Jr., who will keep Nussmeier upright in his first career regular-season start. USC was also ravaged by the NFL Draft and the transfer portal, losing every major offensive contributor besides Zachariah Branch. The Trojan defense has star power but showed time and time again last season that they were far below average. Lincoln Riley will have Junior QB Miller Moss ready to play, however, LSU’s offense will be too much. 

Mortal Lock:

Virginia Tech -13.5 @ Vanderbilt: Coming off a winning season, Virginia Tech is returning 22 starters which is why I love this bet. The Hokies have a star quarterback in Junior Kyron Drones who threw 17 touchdowns last season with only three interceptions while Bhayshul Tuten added ten scores as the lead back. The Hokies attacked the transfer portal hard on the defensive side of the ball this offseason, most notably adding three former 4-star defensive linemen in Aeneas Peebles, Khurtiss Perry and Kelvin Gilliam Jr. Vanderbilt lost their top three receiving leaders from last season to the transfer portal but brought in two QB’s with former New Mexico State QB Diego Pavia projected to be the starter. Pavia was decent in the CUSA, but the ACC is not the CUSA. Traveling to take on Vanderbilt, who is the SEC bottom feeder every year (2-10 ATS last season) should not be enough to scare you away from this bet.