NCAA Football Betting Favorites To Disappoint In 2015-16

Posted by Alex Murphy on Saturday,July 25, 2015 8:43, EDT in

As the new season draws near, everyone is curious to know who will win the college football title next season. The fans are excited, bettors are placing their wagers on the early College Football betting odds and the media is loudmouthed, more than ever before. The Pro draft took place a couple of months ago and teams lost their best players to the NFL,but such is life in college football and institutions know this very well. Owing to their recent successes or projected bright futures, a number of teams have been placed on the NCAAF betting lines as favorites to succeed in their divisions, conferences and the National title race, but how true are these predictions? On that, we will have to wait till the end of the season to know who was right and who was wrong. But as a general bottom line, the fact is that not all the teams that have been placed as favorites will actually live to expectations. For example, who would have known that the likes of Oklahoma and South Carolina would take a dip, while TCU and Mississippi State would soar? Yep, the 2015 season will probably be no different, and here are our top candidates for disappointments.

Breaking Down Who are the NCAA Football Betting Favorites To Disappoint In 2015-16

Colorado State

The rams had an impressive 2014 season; for the first time since 2002, they managed a double-digit win record, going 10-3. In fact, they even challenged for the Mountain West title and went to the Las Vegas Bowl. However, they lost their head coach Jim McElwain, which could be a setback for them. Along with him, they lost Quarterback Garrett Grayson (4,006 yards, 32 touchdowns, seven interceptions) through graduation andthe school’s leading rusher Dee Hart (1,275 yards, 16 touchdowns), who decided to declare for the draft a year earlier than he should. So although they still have Sophomore Nick Stevens and Rashard Higgins, and Mike Bobo as the head coach, it might not be easy for them this coming season.

Florida State

The performance by the Seminoles in the college betting odds over the past three years has been up the sky. With a record that includes three consecutive ACC championships, a BCS national title, a 29-game win streak and a Rose Bowl appearance, anybody would jump to bet on them to have another successful year. However, these great runs were sustained by great talent, most of which are now in the NFL.

The Seminoles had it tough in January due to graduation and the draft, losing quarterback Jameis Winston, wide receiver Rashad Greene, defensive end Mario Edwards, defensive tackle Eddie Goldman, cornerbacks Ronald Darby and P.J. Williams, tailback Karlos Williams and tight end Nick O’Leary. In addition, in the past, they have recruited very well and that has kept them going, but things didn’t go that well. With the major losses and having to depend on inexperienced kids, it is hard to see them succeed in 2015 like they’ve been doing in the recent past.

Mississippi State

The Bulldogs showed their wild side last season,growling real loud and reminding everyone that they are no longer pets. Thanks to a hot season start, they rose from mediocrity to become one of the nation’s most revered teams, even spending four weeks at number one in the AP Poll for the first time in their history. They ended the season at 10-3 with an Orange Bowl appearance. However, like every story in college football, the Bulldogs saw a number of their players mature into the bigger roles through graduation and draft.

Most notably, leading rusher Josh Robinson (1,203 yards, 11 touchdowns) departed along with linebacker Benardrick McKinney. Moreover, they also need to replace three starting offensive linemen. With their performance on the betting odds hugely dependent on how they can deal with their losses and how quickly new players will adapt to their system, a regression looks more likely.

Wisconsin

The Badgers had a great run of results in 2014, with 11 wins under Gary Andersen. Entering 2015, they have to deal with Andersen’shift to Oregon. Even with his reputation, Paul Chryst, Andersen’s replacement, might find it hard to replicate the 11-win record in his first season, mainly because of the intense Big Ten competition. On the pitch, the Badgers must replace Heisman Trophy runner-up Melvin Gordon along with three linemen.

RB Corey Clement (949 rushing yards and 9 touchdowns in 2014) should be able to offer some cushion in the aftermath of Gordon’s departure, but the linemen will be tough to deal with. The position they will, however, really need to work on is the quarterback role, as Joel Stave and Tanner McEvoy did not impress much last season. For example, stave—the media’s frontrunner for the starting job—recorded nine touchdowns against 10 interceptions last season, painting a blurry picture for the offense in 2015.