College Football Odds: Projecting Every Conference’s Surprise Team

The college football season is always exciting, with upsets and surprises seeming to come every single week.

As good as things have been, especially in the playoff era, things could well get even more exciting this season.

My Analysis Projecting Every College Football Conference’s Surprise Team

The reason for this is that we have some changes coming our way, starting with the playoffs expanding from 4 teams to 12. Besides that, we also have some major realignment across the conferences, a move that essentially resulted in the death of the PAC-12, which now has just 2 teams. It goes without saying that we will not be looking at the PAC-12 here, but there are 9 others we are going to cover, so let’s try and find some surprise teams.

ACC: Louisville Cardinals

Despite racking up 10 wins and going to the Conference Championship Game last season, the Cardinals are still considered 4th best in the conference at odds of +600. This is the 2nd season for head coach, Jef Brohm, and this year might be better yet.

Big 12: Arizona Wildcats

This conference tends to be one of the most unpredictable in college football, but it feels even more wide open with Texas and Oklahoma now gone. The Wildcats have a new head coach, which could go either way, but I think they are in the hunt at odds of +950.

Big Ten: Ohio State Buckeyes

The belief is that the Ohio State Buckeyes are the team to beat now that Jim Harbaugh has left Michigan for the NFL. There is also the belief that Oregon will fit in nicely and challenge the Buckeyes for the top spot, but I would not be ignoring the Buckeyes, who are at +520.

SEC: Tennessee Volunteers

After a huge season in 2022, the Volunteers took a bit of a backward step last season, but I think they are ready to move in the right direction again. This team looks offensively gifted and appears to be overlooked at odds of +1100.

AAC: UTSA Roadrunners

I think the AAC could be very tight this season, with any of 4 teams capable of winning the conference. Memphis looks like the team to beat, but I would not be averse to taking a risk on the Roadrunners, who are in at +650 right now.

C-USA: Jacksonville State Gamecocks

The Gamecocks went 9-4 last season, which included a 6-2 record in conference play. They have made a lot of moves in the off season and will look very different, but I still think they are worth a look at odds of +490.

MAC: Bowling Green Falcons

The pundits have the MAC down as a 2-horse race between Miami (OH) and Toledo, with the odds seeming to bear that out, but I would keep an eye open for the offensively gifted Bowling Green Falcons (+800).

Mountain West: Air Force Falcons

This conference was as tight as it gets last season, with 3 teams finishing with a 6-2 conference record. The Falcons were just behind that trio and could be better this season, even at odds of +1200.

Sun Belt: Texas State Bobcats

It was not a great year for the Bobcats, who went 4-4 in conference play last season, well off the pace in the West Division. They have loaded up on Power 5 talent through the portal and could be worth a look at odds of +560.

The CFP and @ATLSportsCncl are well underway in their preparation to host a full weekend of events around the 2025 CFP National Championship, slated for Monday, January 20 at @MBStadium!

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— College Football Playoff (@CFBPlayoff) April 30, 2024

NCAA Football Betting Center

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