With the 2014 College Football season permanently sealed in the history books, and a good number of its stars shipped to the NFL, the focus has now shifted unsparingly to the upcoming CFB season and what might become of its strongest contenders. Understandably, the Ohio State Buckeyes, Alabama Crimson Tide, TCU Horned Frogs, Auburn Tigers, Baylor Bears and Oregon Ducks constitute the list of heavy favorites to emerge victorious in the 2015 college football betting odds, hence most of the recent talks about the upcoming season have been revolving around them. As a way of preparing bettors for possible pitfalls en route to the 2016 College Football Playoff, here is a brief look at some of the games that qualify as potential spoilers for the above-mentioned favorite playoff contenders.
Let’s Review the Games That Could Spoil Your 2015 NCAA Football Odds Season
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Ohio State at Virginia Tech
Losing to Virginia Tech in the 2014 NCAA Football season nearly cost the Buckeyes a slot in the top-4, and it wouldn’t be a surprise if the same scenario is faced in 2015. The Lane Stadium has been a fortress for the Hokies, and with Michael Brewer in their ranks, an upset could be in the offing for the defending CFB Champions.
Wisconsin at Alabama
Although the absence of RB Melvin Gordon is likely to make the Badgers less threatening to the Crimson Tide in this game, Alabama will also be dealing with the absence of QB Blake Sims and WR Amari Cooper, hence leveling the playing field. But as a slight skill advantage for the Badgers, they’ll be having the proven skills of senior QB Joel Stave. Add the fact that this will be the first game of the season (so both teams are likely not to be at their best of competition levels), the Badgers could kickstart with their season with a big road win and deliver a huge upset to Alabama’s playoff hopes.
TCU at Minnesota
After narrowly missing out of last year’s playoffs due to a “bad loss” in their season tally, the Horned Frogs know all too well about not letting your guard down. Unfortunately, having taken care of the Gophers at home last season, a game that saw Minnesota’s B Mitch Leidner play the worst game of his sophomore year, TCU could be duped into underestimating Minnesota. And in if that happens, then a rude shock will be awaiting Trevone Boykin and his teammates, considering the strength of Gophers against non-conference opponents. Last year, the lone non-conference loss for the Gophers came against Minnesota, so TCU should be well-prepared to avoid a spoiler in this contest.
Baylor at Kansas State
The Bears have taken care of the Wildcats in each of their three meetings over the last three seasons, so this should be a routine win for them, right? Wrong! On paper, the Bears have a more balanced and deeper roster than Kansas State, which undoubtedly gives them some edge. However, the Wildcats have a secret weapon in Coach Bill Snyder, a renowned strategist that has a good track record of upsetting big teams. Therefore, even with his rebuilding agenda and a roster that is missing the likes of Jake Waters and receiver Tyler Lockett, Snyder and his team will be a unit to watch, with the likelihood of an upset looking appealingly enticing to bettors.
Auburn at Kentucky
Coming into this game slated for October, the Tigers will probably be worn out after a bumpy up-and-down bumpy schedule. But even more crucially, the Wildcats ranked well in the 2014 recruitments, while the 2015 recruitment also brought in a couple of decent pieces. With a host of dangerously underrated players from Kentucky going against the Tigers, who have a tendency to switch off against low-tier opponents, don’t be surprised if Auburn comes out Kentucky with a surprise defeat.
Oregon at Arizona State
Like the Tide and Sims’ absence, the absence of QB Marcus Mariota leaves a gaping hole in Oregon’s fast attack. And of all teams in the Pac-12 Conference, none of them is as good as Arizona State in forcing mistakes against the so-called big opponents. Explicably, in 2014, Arizona State ranked impressively at No. 6 in the league in turnover margin (at plus-16). With Oregon’s young rebuilding offense on one side, and the Sun Devils (loaded with a solid QB in Mike Bercovici and running specialist in .J. Foster), the Ducks could be swimming back to Oregon on October 29th with a loss over their heads.
