Nothing compares to a full day of college football watching. We thirsty fans got exactly the right amount of a taste with Saturday's seven-game schedule, whetting our appetites for the complete experience on Saturday.
The good thing is that we won't have to wait long because there are 11 games scheduled for Thursday night, including a highly anticipated, out-of-conference rematch between the Florida Gators and Utah Utes. Bettor caution is advised before entering Week 1 with the uncertainty surrounding Utah QB Cam Rising's injury situation.
Let's take a moment to process what happened on Saturday:
#1. There was much focus on the clock's new rule
Prior to the week, there was a lot of discussion about the new rule changes, particularly how they would affect totals. As anticipated, after a sample of seven games, we won't have any conclusive answers. There were more unders (4-3 FBS, 3-0 FCS), but it seemed like team identities overruled the rule adjustments more often. In general, the schedule had more sluggish teams on it, and early-season games always involve some degree of rust.
The new clock regulations did reduce the number of plays from the average from last year by a few, but I predict there may be a bigger impact once all FBS teams have played a few games. Based on these seven games, I don't see any significant market changes going into Week 1.
#2. The Sam Hartman Dominance
In some games, even if you make mistakes, you still end up winning your bet. Even while it was good to win my first season-opening college football wager on the under 50.5, I didn't anticipate the Notre Dame offensive to be that successful. After enduring last season's offensive shortcomings, QB Sam Hartman's debut was all Irish supporters could have asked for.
Hartman threw for an amazing 10.9 yards per attempt on 19 of his 23 completions, four touchdowns, and no interceptions. Because the Navy's defense was so outmatched, Notre Dame was able to go more than 70 yards each series on average during its six touchdown drives. As Hartman takes on the Tennessee State Tigers in South Bend as a huge favourite on Saturday playing with NFL playoff betting, the Heisman speculation will only intensify.
#3. Same old Southern California, nothing new
After seeing USC easily defeat San Jose State 56-28, three things stuck out. Sadly for Lincoln Riley, it appeared to be very similar to the previous campaign. Caleb Williams, the USC quarterback, has a real opportunity to win the Heisman Trophy twice, but his offensive line needs to keep him safe.
Second, WR Zachariah Branch might have a spectacular season. Williams threw to Branch for a 25-yard gain, then he returned the kickoff 96 yards for two touchdowns.
The offensive arsenal of the Trojans is stocked with tools, and they may need each and every one of them. The defense of Alex Grinch doesn't appear to have resolved the problems that beset it last season, which is the final and most crucial point. With barely eight seconds remaining in the second quarter, it gave up 14 points to San Jose State, including a deep touchdown pass on a botched coverage.
USC is giving Nevada an even higher amount (-38) this week after failing to cover as 31.5-point favorites. We made money betting on the over 66.5 in Week Zero, and I'd be more likely to do it now than to bet on USC covering this amount.
#4. Hawaii remains hot for bettors, a huge betting favourite!
Despite the fact that the Rainbow Warriors' comeback fell just short on the scoreboard, those who had tickets for +17.5 won money on their wagers. Timmy Chang's team made steady progress and went unnoticed as a lucrative team to back down the stretch in 2022 after being outscored 168-37 in its first three games. It concluded the season strongly considering its 3-9 start, going 5-1 ATS in the final six games.
The winning streak continued on Saturday night as Hawaii gave Vanderbilt supporters a good scare despite losing 35-28. Hawaii outgained the Commodores 391-302, but it was too late to pull off the road upset because of two costly turnovers. After losing 63-10 to the Commodores at home the previous season, several questioned whether Hawaii's stock was too high.
Hawaii will now return to Honolulu for a home game against Stanford in Week 1. Over the summer, Hawaii opened as a 10.5-point underdog; at this time, that line has been lowered to +4. Although I haven't placed a wager on it yet, Hawaii might once again be a strong underdog.
