College Football Week 1: Beware of These Potential Frauds
Zack Cook
Host · Writer
5. West Virginia Mountaineers
Some believed West Virginia had upset potential over Penn State in the opener at home in Week 1. Not only did that not transpire, the Nittany Lions made a pretty big statement on Saturday. They dominated from the opening kickoff, picking up a 34-12 victory on the Mountaineer's home soil. It's no secret that Penn State boasts a solid defense, but more was expected from Garrett Greene in his Week 1 debut. Many believed West Virginia had sneaky potential this season, but that was put in serious doubt after their Week 1 showing.
Stay ahead of the game and elevate your sports betting experience with SportsGrid.
1. Oregon Ducks
The Oregon Ducks entered Week 1 against the Idaho Vandals with the third-shortest odds to win the national championship this season. The Ducks were listed as a monstrous 49.5-point favorite in Week 1 against the Vandals. Although the Ducks came out on top 24-14, it certainly wasn't in impressive fashion for a supposed national title contender. The Ducks still have a loaded roster and probably deserve the benefit of the doubt. Still, they didn't come as advertised as an explosive offense in Week 1, which was concerning against this level of competition. The sportsbooks haven't gone crazy, but the Ducks' national title odds did take a slight dip after this lackluster showing.
2. Clemson Tigers
Few expected the Clemson Tigers to pick up an upset victory over the Georgia Bulldogs in Week 1. Still, the majority at least felt the Tigers would stay in the football game and not get completely blown out. The Bulldogs were consistently listed as a 13.5-point favorite in this matchup, but that number was bet down to 10.5 points by kickoff. The Tigers kept it close in the first half, but the Bulldogs took control from the opening kick in the second half, outscoring Clemson 28-3 en route to a 34-3 victory. The Tigers might still be in the race to win the ACC, but they didn't look like a team with any business contending on Saturday.
3. Virginia Tech Hokies
A trendy dark horse pick to take down the ACC and punch their ticket in the College Football Playoff this year was Virginia Tech. After Week 1, that'll no longer be the case. With a 12-team playoff, your odds aren't completely dead after a Week 1 loss, but losing to a lowly Vanderbilt squad won't do them any favors. The Hokies opened their matchup against the Commodores as a 9.5-point favorite, and that number was bet down to 13.5 by kickoff. To say this was a major upset in Week 1 would be an understatement. The Hokies are officially on fraud watch.
Download the SportsGrid App
Stay Ahead of the Game and Elevate Your Sports Betting Experience with SportsGrid. Download the SportsGrid App from the Apple Store and Google Play Store.
4. Florida Gators
We're happy to call a spade a spade. We had Florida on potential upset watch to take down Miami (FL) in Week 1 at home. We probably should have thought twice about Billy Napier's squad in this one. The Gators kept it close in the first quarter, but the second half saw Miami outscore Florida 17-7, finishing with a 41-17 victory. Cam Ward was the story for the Hurricanes, but the lack of a fight put up by the Gators was just as noteworthy. At least Gators' fans briefly saw highly-touted 5-star quarterback DJ Lagway. It's not looking good for the Gators or Napier to keep his job.
5. West Virginia Mountaineers
Some believed West Virginia had upset potential over Penn State in the opener at home in Week 1. Not only did that not transpire, the Nittany Lions made a pretty big statement on Saturday. They dominated from the opening kickoff, picking up a 34-12 victory on the Mountaineer's home soil. It's no secret that Penn State boasts a solid defense, but more was expected from Garrett Greene in his Week 1 debut. Many believed West Virginia had sneaky potential this season, but that was put in serious doubt after their Week 1 showing.
Stay ahead of the game and elevate your sports betting experience with SportsGrid.
1. Oregon Ducks
The Oregon Ducks entered Week 1 against the Idaho Vandals with the third-shortest odds to win the national championship this season. The Ducks were listed as a monstrous 49.5-point favorite in Week 1 against the Vandals. Although the Ducks came out on top 24-14, it certainly wasn't in impressive fashion for a supposed national title contender. The Ducks still have a loaded roster and probably deserve the benefit of the doubt. Still, they didn't come as advertised as an explosive offense in Week 1, which was concerning against this level of competition. The sportsbooks haven't gone crazy, but the Ducks' national title odds did take a slight dip after this lackluster showing.
