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College football's long-awaited return came on August 29th when Central Arkansas took down Austin Peay in the annual Football Championship Subdivision (FCS, formerly I-AA) kickoff game. Labor Day weekend brought the return of the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS), which is commonly referred to as "D-1."
This coming weekend brings the return of three of the "Power 5" conferences, a full slate of exciting games, and the sense of a return to normalcy to one of America's fall traditions. Tailgating might be disallowed in some states, but fans will be able to follow along with their favorite teams (or pick new teams) as the pursuit of the College Football Playoff (CFP) commences.
As the 2020 fall college football season approaches, keeping our fingers crossed each week that it will continue, we will look through some of the available futures bets available. Every week this season, we will bring you expert betting picks and content to help guide you through the college football season.
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Who's Playing and What Will Be Different This Fall
Before digging into some of our best futures bets, let's reset the diminished 2020 college football field. The Big Ten, Pac-12, Mountain West, and Mid-American Conferences all postponed their fall football seasons, with eyes on rescheduling for the spring. The American Athletic Conference (AAC), Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC), Big 12 Conference, Conference-USA, Southeastern Conference (SEC), and Sun Belt Conference have all made plans to play this fall 2020 season. Despite recent conversations that the Big Ten has reportedly had with state and federal elected officials about a mid-October start to the season, as things presently stand the National Championship contender field will be devoid of the opportunity of seeing Ohio State in the (CFP) once again.
While the rules of the game have not changed, you will see many new changes coming this fall. Referees will no longer be using the traditional whistles, replaced by an electronic whistle attached to their hips, and activated with the click of a button. Coaches and players on the sidelines will be wearing masks and practicing social distancing when they can. Stadiums will be largely empty, with capacity ranging from zero fans allowed to 20,000 fans. Players, coaches, and officials are privy to their conference's COVID-19 testing policies, with multiple tests required throughout a week in order to play on Saturdays. Despite all these changes, the return of college football will bring a sense of normalcy to many.
Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC)
The ACC will be playing a 10-game conference schedule, with each team permitted to seek out an additional non-conference matchup. The Clemson Tigers are the overwhelming favorite to repeat as ACC champions for the sixth consecutive season at -455. The Tigers must replace four multi-year starters from their stout offensive line, star receiver Tee Higgins, and six defensive starters from a team that placed second in the nation behind LSU. With quarterback Trevor Lawrence and running back Travis Etienne returning for another year, the Tigers will and should be favored in every game this season even with a largely new supporting cast surrounding them.
2020 marks the first year that Notre Dame will be playing in a college football conference when they suit up as a member of the ACC. The Fighting Irish, who joined the ACC in all sports but football and hockey in 2012, return 8 offensive starters including their star quarterback Ian Book, who passed for 34 touchdowns and only 6 interceptions a year ago. Notre Dame also has a fairly manageable schedule and should be favored in all of their matchups aside from the November 7 showdown with Clemson in South Bend. If Notre Dame can steer clear of potential road upsets at Pitt or North Carolina, they should get another chance at Clemson in the December ACC championship game.
When looking for a sleeper, an experienced team with a stout defense and history of upsets is not a bad place to start. Coach Pat Narduzzi's Pitt Panthers return 16 starters from a year ago, as well as adding two potential star defensive linemen in Rashad Weaver and Keyshon Camp who were injured a year ago. The Panthers have knocked off #2 Clemson in Death Valley in 2016 (no team has won at Clemson since), #2 Miami in the final game of 2017, and handed Central Florida (UCF) its first loss in 27 regular-season games in memorable fashion.
Picks:
The Value Pick: Notre Dame +650 to win the ACC
The Sleeper: Pittsburgh +3300 to win the ACC
The Big 12 Conference
The Big 12 adopted a similar plan to the ACC's plan, with their usual nine-game conference schedule, and an additional optional non-conference game. This year's favorite, the Oklahoma Sooners, will be starting a non-transfer quarterback for the first time in five years when highly touted redshirt freshman Spencer Rattler takes the field on Saturday in an unusual "Pay Per View" matchup costing $54.99. Coach Lincoln Riley has the unenviable task of having to replace the heart-and-soul of both his offense and defense - NFL first-round picks CeeDee Lamb and linebacker Kenneth Murray. Junior wide receiver Charleston Rambo, who caught 43 passes playing across the field from Lamb, is the player to watch on offense. If Rambo has a breakout season, the Sooners should be the odds-on favorite in most of their matchups in 2020 and is favored to win the conference at -125 odds.
Entering the 2020 season ranked as the #23 team in the country, Iowa State is a team on the rise. The Hawkeyes return 14 players who received All-Big 12 recognition last year, including junior quarterback Brock Purdy, and his dual tight end threats Charlie Kolar and Chase Allen. The Cyclones have 10 players on both offense and defense who have started at least five games in their careers and set school records in total offense and passing yards last year. The Cyclones are the only team in the Big 12 other than Oklahoma to have appeared in the CFP rankings in each of the last 3 seasons and have the returning team to finally reach that new height.
In Coach Neal Brown's first season at the helm, the West Virginia Mountaineers stumbled to a 5-7 record in 2019. The team did, however, win two of their final three games after Bowling Green transfer Jarret Doege was installed as the new starting quarterback. Doege, who played only four games last season to preserve a redshirt and an extra season of eligibility under NCAA rules, sat by design in an effort to learn the offense and prepare for a comeback season in 2020. With Doege under center and a talented young set of skill position players surrounding him, the West Virginia offense should produce at its usual Big 12-proficiency. In an unpredictable season, the Mountaineer defense will have to overcome losses such as cornerbacks Hakeem Bailey and Keith Washington and linebacker Shane Campbell, to compete in the Big 12.
The Value Pick: Iowa State +1000 to win the Big 12
The Sleeper: West Virginia +2500 to win the Big 12
Southeastern Conference (SEC)
The SEC decided in early August to scrap the original schedule and replace it with a ten-game schedule featuring conference opponents only to insulate the schools from lax COVID-19 testing procedures. Alabama enters the season as the favorite to win the conference with -143 odds. The Tagovailoa era came to an end last year with Tua and brother Taulia's respective departures to the NFL's Miami Dolphins and the Maryland Terrapins. Mac Jones, who threw 14 touchdowns against 3 interceptions in four starts last season, takes over at quarterback, with returning star receivers DeVonta Smith and Jaylen Waddle forming a dangerous duo. As usual, the Crimson Tide will be a tough team to beat this fall.
The Florida Gators, led by quarterback Kyle Trask and tight end Kyle Pitts, are emerging as a legitimate contender under head coach Dan Mullen. The Gators benefit from avoiding Alabama and Auburn in conference play and getting a rebuilding LSU at home this year. When Georgia quarterback Jamie Newman decided to opt-out of the season to prepare for the 2021 NFL draft, the Gators became the best team in the East and should advance to the SEC Championship in December for a battle with 'Bama if all goes according to plan this season.
Coach Mark Stoops has managed to build the Kentucky Wildcats into a formidable SEC opponent, something that many would have thought an impossible feat at the outset of the 21st century. Stoops has taken the Wildcats to four straight bowls, including victories over Penn State in 2018 and Virginia Tech in 2019. Now, the Wildcats are seeking to take the next step towards an appearance in the SEC Championship game. The Wildcats' 2019 season was defined by wide receiver Lynn Bowden Jr, a 3rd round draft pick in the 2020 NFL draft, as he led the team in rushing and receiving while starting much of the second half of the season as the team's quarterback. The return of quarterback Terry Wilson, who suffered a season-ending knee injury, and the team's stable of talented young running backs behind four returning starters on the offensive line, eases the pain of losing Bowden. The strong rushing attack should allow the Wildcats to continue to control the pace of play as they hope to take the next step as an SEC contender.
The Value Pick: Florida +400 to win the SEC
The Sleeper: Kentucky to win the SEC East +1400
Odds shown are courtesy of Draftkings. Thanks for reading, and remember to gamble responsibly.
