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2018 NCAA Football Week 1 Sure Losers

Written by on August 21, 2018

NCAA Football Betting News
The offseason in college football is one that seems to go on for an eternity, but the great news for fans and NCAAF Betting enthusiasts alike is that the wait is almost over. The first handful of games will go this coming Saturday, with the meat of the 2018 NCAA Week 1 schedule kicking off a week from Thursday. We have already looked at teams we believe to be sure winners in Week 1, and now we are going to focus on a few teams that we feel will be on the losing side of things in their opener. Let’s get right to the predictions for the sure losers in Week 1 of the college football season.

2018 NCAA Football Week 1 Sure Losers

Utah State Aggies vs Michigan State Spartans

The Aggies came up with 6 wins in the regular season in 2017, good enough to get them into a bowl game, which they ended up losing to New Mexico State. Last season, the Aggies also chose to open with a game against a team ranked in the top 25 in the preseason, with the results being about what you expect. In that one, they went down 59-10 to a Wisconsin Badgers team more known for its defensive play. This season, the Aggies will open up against an offensive-minded Spartans team with an eye on the Big Ten Championship. Look for the Spartans to get things rolling on Friday night with a lopsided win.

Tennessee Volunteers vs West Virginia Mountaineers

The opening week of the season will see the start of the Jeremy Pruitt era in Tennessee, as the Volunteers look to bounce back from a truly awful season last year. There are a lot of folks who believe that Pruitt is the right man for the job, but he is going to need more than one recruiting class to turn things around with this program. The West Virginia Mountaineers have been knocking on the door of the playoffs for the past few seasons, and in Will Grier, they have a legitimate QB who can torch opposing defenses. Look for him to post some big numbers in an opening week win.

Louisville Cardinals vs Alabama Crimson Tide

This is a match-up that would have been a great deal more exciting had it happened last season before Lamar Jackson headed off to the NFL. The last time these two teams met was in the Fiesta Bowl back in 1991, a game that Louisville won 34-7. The Louisville Cardinals are no favorites to win in the 2018 NCAA Football Week 1. That game now seems like a distant memory, especially when you consider what had happened since then, most notably with Alabama collecting championships with stunning regularity under coach Nick Saban. There is a little bit of a QB controversy in Tuscaloosa right now, but that probably all disappears once the season begins with an Alabama win.

Notre Dame Fighting Irish vs Michigan Wolverines

This is arguably the best match-up that Week 1 of the college football season has to offer, and while it’s one I should probably avoid in terms of sure winners and losers, I am going to take a stab at it. This is a big season for Michigan, as patience is beginning to wear thin among fans of the Big Blue. This is not to suggest that Jim Harbaugh is on the hot seat, but more is expected of him. He can ease some of the pressure by getting a win here, just as Kirby Smart did when his Georgia Bulldogs won in South Bend in the early part of last season. I am on the Wolverines in this one.
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