Underdogs to look out for in NCAAF Week 2
The college football season is barely a week old, and bettors have a chance to take advantage of the small sample size we’ve seen so far by taking some choice underdogs. In college football, where point spreads can really climb in a hurry, these particular underdogs have a chance to keep things a lot closer than the odds are suggesting.
Oregon +14.5 at Ohio State
In the game of the week in college football, Oregon is over a two-touchdown underdog against the Ohio State Buckeyes in Columbus. That line jumped up from an opening number of around 11 points based on the Ducks’ lackluster performance to start the season against Fresno State. But the Buckeyes weren’t all that convincing in their season opener either and could very well fall to a top-15 team in the nation here.
Ohio State started their season with a double-digit win over the Minnesota Golden Gophers in conference play. But the Buckeyes were behind for much of the early stages of that contest against a Minnesota team that doesn’t exactly have an explosive offense. Against a much more talented Oregon squad, the Buckeyes will have to be careful not to fall victim to an upset bid.
Oregon also comes into this game with a sense of urgency, as a loss could knock them out of the College Football Playoff race early in the season. The selection committee has more or less demanded perfection from Pac-12 teams in order to make the playoff. For that reason, expect a fired-up Oregon squad.
Buffalo +14 at Nebraska
Last week, Nebraska got into the win column, evening their record at 1-1 after trouncing Fordham of the FCS. But their lone game against an FBS opponent was a disaster, as they started their year with an embarrassing loss at the hands of an Illinois team that lost its starting quarterback in that game. Now playing another FBS team in Buffalo, the Cornhuskers are on upset alert.
Buffalo does have some experience at the quarterback position in the form of starter Kyle Vantrease, who led their exceptional offense last season. And while getting a win in Nebraska may not happen, the Bulls should be able to keep things close enough to cover the spread against a team that hasn’t proven it can string together 60 minutes of quality football against FBS schools.
Iowa +4.5 at Iowa State
The CyHawk rivalry is one of the best games in the early portion of the college football season each year, and this one should be no exception. But the performances of these two teams in Week 1 would suggest that the Hawkeyes have more than a puncher’s chance at getting a win on Saturday.
Last week, Iowa demolished Indiana and slowed down Heisman Trophy hopeful Michael Penix in the process. Iowa State, meanwhile, had a hard time with FCS school Northern Iowa. And while both teams should regress to more typical performance levels in this game, the Hawkeyes certainly have a good shot at winning this rivalry game on the road and improving to 2-0 on the year.
