With more than 260 games on the college football betting slate in September, narrowing the field to a top 3 is certain to leave out key contests and marquee matchups, which will cause a lot of hurt feelings and cries of neglect.
So, if you’re one of those all-things ACC or all-things Big 12 people, or just haven’t heard yet about the disintegration of the Pac-12, get your hankies ready.
USC Trojans vs. LSU Tigers
Sunday, September 01, 2024 – 07:30 PM ET at Allegiant Stadium
This matchup between USC and LSU is full of firsts – the first September game, one of the first inter-conference clashes of historical heavyweights and the first time the Trojans play as a member of the Big Ten.
Not that the Tigers really care about any of that; all Brian Kelly and Co. want to do is make good on current odds that show LSU favored by 6½.
Both Sides Replacing QB Legends
Lincoln Riley brings the Trojans into the Big Ten off a disappointing 8-5 season that started well with 6-straight wins before things went to hell. Southern Cal did at least go into the winter on a winning note after a mild upset of Louisville in the Holiday Bowl.
Kelly and the Tigers closed a 10-3 campaign in strong fashion, winning 7 of their last 8 with the final touch coming over Wisconsin in the ReliaQuest Bowl. The real value at top-rated sportsbooks was a sizzling 12-1 O/U record to accompany an 8-5 ATS mark.
Both teams bid adieu to a Heisman Trophy winner, quarterbacks Caleb Williams and Jayden Daniels, who also just happened to be the top two picks in the NFL Draft.
Sin City Showdown
Another first for the matchup, it’s the first time in 40 years that the Trojans and Tigers have met. They split clashes in 1979 and 1984, each winning on the road.
The contest gets full coverage as a stand-alone NCAAF tilt on the last Sunday before the NFL kicks off its season, and I’m expecting a pro-LSU crowd in Las Vegas where the Bayou Bengals prevail, 38-28.
Boise State Broncos vs. Oregon Ducks
Saturday, September 07, 2024 – Time TBD at Autzen Stadium
A recent poll conducted by CBS Sports resulted in Boise State being ranked as the top Group of 5 team entering the 2024 season, and with at least one conference champion from that list guaranteed a spot in the CFP, it would be foolish not to consider the Broncos’ early slate.
Especially when that early slate includes a trip to Eugene to meet an Oregon team that is expected to be Ohio State’s top challenger in the Ducks’ new conference, the Big Ten.
Broncs & Ducks Breaking in Transfer QBs
The experts at CBS gave the Broncos a very small edge over Liberty as the top Group of 5 team going into the campaign, and a big part of the small edge was due to Boise State landing Malachi Nelson in the transfer portal.
Nelson was ESPN’s top-rated QB from the Class of 2023, and moves from USC to Boise where he’ll be running the offense for head coach Spencer Danielson and OC Dirk Koetter.
Dan Lanning also found a new QB to run his spread at Oregon. Dillon Gabriel, formerly of Oklahoma and UCF, was summoned to replace Bo Nix, who is now plying his trade for the Broncos of the NFL.
BSU Perfect 3-0 in Previous Meetings
This will be the fourth meeting between the two, and it might surprise many to learn Boise State has won the previous three. The most recent was a 38-28 drubbing at the 2017 Las Vegas Bowl where the Ducks were closed as touchdown favorites on the NCAAF betting sites.
In addition to new QBs on each side, Oregon is breaking in a lot of new transfers on the defensive side. At least this is a Week 2 matchup to give Danielson and Lanning time to work some things out. I like a scoreboard buster.
Georgia Bulldogs vs. Alabama Crimson Tide
Saturday, September 28, 2024 – 07:30 PM ET at Bryant-Denny Stadium
A full 21 days will pass between the Broncos and Ducks meeting in Week 2 and the Week 5 college football betting card. There will be plenty of must-see matchups in that span, games that will be crucial to the eventual dozen teams that make the College Football Playoffs.
However, to not put the Georgia-Alabama game on this list would be criminal.
Beck vs. Milroe – Heisman Showdown?
Kirby Smart and Georgia will have Week 4 off before this contest. The Bulldogs open against Clemson in Atlanta, host Tennessee Tech and then go to Kentucky in Week 3 for their SEC opener.
Kalen DeBoer and the Crimson Tide will also take Week 3 off before Nick Saban’s replacement faces his first SEC matchup with an incredibly tough test in front of the home folk. Alabama hosts Western Kentucky and South Florida before a Week 3 trip to Wisconsin.
This meeting between the two stalwarts also gives us one of those games within the game, as Heisman favorites Carson Beck and Jalen Milroe match wits as opposing QBs.
Last 2 Meetings Stay ‘Under’
Saban’s final win at Alabama just so happened to be against his former assistant Smart and the Bulldogs in last year’s SEC Championship. This is their first regular season matchup since the goofy 2020 season, and while the Crimson Tide have won 3 of the last 4, Georgia has covered 3 of the last 4.
The Bulldogs will cover and win this time in what should be a pick ‘em.
