3 underdog teams to watch out for in Week 1 of college football ft. Florida
Week 1 of the college football season is almost here, and the betting lines for the bulk of the first games have been established. However, being the favorite in the sportsbook does not ensure victory.
Let's dive into a few programs that can win as underdogs in Week 1.
Underdog teams to watch out for in Week 1 of college football
1) Florida Gators
The Miami Hurricanes may be the 19th-ranked program in the AP preseason poll, but there are still a lot of questions surrounding the team.
Florida has the better quarterback in Graham Mertz, who should be viewed as a star after a 20:3 touchdown-to-interception ratio last season. Meanwhile, the Hurricanes have a brand new quarterback in Cameron Ward.
Florida is a three-point home underdog against the Miami Hurricanes and they can win this game outright.
2) Notre Dame Fighting Irish
According to the sportsbooks, the seventh-ranked team is a three-point underdog against the 20th-ranked Texas A&M Aggies for this Week 1 matchup.
Texas A&M has two new offensive linemen, including Kolinu'u Faaiu at center, while its secondary has three new faces in the starting lineup.
Expect Notre Dame to dominate and take full advantage of sophomore quarterback Conner Weigman, who is coming off a late September injury that kept him from getting reps.
3) Hawaii Rainbow Warriors
The Hawaii Rainbow Warriors are set to host the UCLA Bruins, who have a completely different identity after seeing coach Chip Kelly leave for the Ohio State offensive coordinator position while former defensive coordinator D'Anton Lynn left for the USC Trojans this offseason.
Even with senior quarterback Ethan Garbers starting, there are question marks as the quarterback position kept changing a year ago.
Hawaii played in Week 0 against the Delaware State Hornets from the FCS and looked dominant (35-14 win), with quarterback Brayden Schager contributing four touchdowns on the day.
Hawaii is a 14-point home underdog, but this should be an interesting game as the Rainbow Warriors play well at home.